IND vs NZ: Gambhir endorses India’s ‘go for the win’ approach in Tests, says draws are boring

India has been aggressive since Gambhir’s takeover as coach. It won the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh even though rain abandoned nearly three days of play, and fought back against New Zealand in Bengaluru.

Gautam Gambhir said with T20 cricket around, players are expected to be more aggressive. | Photo Credit: K BHAGYA PRAKASH / THE HINDU

Back in 2009, Gautam Gambhir played a marathon innings in Napier, facing 436 deliveries for his 137, to deny New Zealand a victory. The innings, spanning 643 minutes, still remains one of the talking points in the cricketing circuit.

But 15 years later, as he dons the India head coach’s hat, Gambhir has a different approach, where winning a Test match is the ultimate goal as playing out draws are often ‘boring’.

“When I batted in Napier, the T20 format was just introduced. Now, with so much of T20 cricket around, you expect players to be more aggressive. The game has moved on. We have to accept that as well,” Gambhir said on Wednesday, on the eve of India’s second Test against New Zealand.

“We will need a lot of temperament and a lot of mental toughness to bat for two or two-and-a-half days. But if the decision of the leadership group or the team management is to just go there and still try to win the game, I think that is what is very important,” he said, adding: “The messaging has to be very clear.”

India has played some aggressive cricket in the red-ball format ever since Gambhir took charge a couple of months ago. It went on to win the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur despite rain abandoning play for nearly three days. Even last week, despite being bundled out for 46 in the series opener against New Zealand in Bengaluru, the team fought back in the second innings and made an attempt to stay alive in the game. Even though the Kiwis had the last laugh, India’s indomitable spirit was appreciated by the fraternity.

“Had we decided to bat two and a half days, then probably, our guys would have batted much differently. But the intention was always to make the game out of it, irrespective of how much behind we are of the game. For me, that’s always good because draws are boring,” Gambhir said.

“Results are always important. But if we can keep taking the game forward, it’s going to be always great fun. But yes, I think with T20 cricket around, it will be difficult to see a lot of draws in future as well…”

After a thumping series win against Bangladesh, India went into the three-match Test series against New Zealand as a favourite. But a decision to bat first cost the team dearly as it bundled out for a paltry 46, which allowed the visiting team to dominate.

But Gambhir doesn’t want to dwell over the past. “That’s why we call cricket such a leveller. If you enjoy such days as we did in Kanpur, then you will have to accept such days as we did in Bengaluru. But the good thing was that despite being all out at 46, we were still looking to win the Test match. That was important. And this is how we want to play cricket,” he said.

“I have said it before that our first option will always be to win, and the second option will be to draw. So if you see, even in the second innings, there was no such intention that we were looking to play for two and a half days. We were thinking about how to set up the match.

“If you ask me, we were 100 runs away from setting up the match. I don’t think there will be many teams who will be thinking like this even after getting out at 46, when you have to bat more than two and a half days,” the head coach said, adding: “This the type of cricket we want to play in the future.”