India coach Gautam Gambhir doesn’t see the retention list of the franchises in the Indian Premier League, which will be released on the eve of the third and final Test against Zealand, as a concern for him and the players. India will enter the Mumbai Test knowing that the spot in the final of the World Test Championship is at stake. Still, the cricketing world is currently speculating about the players who will retained by the franchises.
“The IPL retentions don’t interest me. I am thinking about the third Test tomorrow as Indian cricket is more important. IPL has nothing to do with me,” he said.
Gambhir is aiming to win the contest at the Wankhede Stadium. “Our focus is to win the game and leave for Australia with confidence. It is another opportunity for the players to do well, and they know that we represent 140 crore Indians.
“It is a big thing as a few people get a chance and honour to play Test cricket for the country.”
India called up 20 net bowlers to train the batters. “I didn’t count the number of net bowlers, but it was good to have many options as it helps the batters to train for a long time. You need different types of bowlers for the training purpose,” he added.
“We don’t have this kind of luxury when we travel to countries like England and Australia, as you can enjoy such facilities only at home.”
Gambhir is backing the team despite two consecutive defeats.
“We have played Test cricket like it should be played. We should be a team that can score 400 runs in a day and can bat defensively for two days if needed. You can’t play Test cricket in one way.”
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