124 was chasable irrespective of pitch, we should've absorbed pressure: Gautam Gambhir

India Today

ND vs SA 1st Test: India head coach Gautam Gambhir felt that the target of 124 against South Africa in the first Test was chasable. India lost the series opener by 30 runs after being bundled out for 93 on Day 3 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

Transcript

00:00In the past 6 tests, we have 4 people here in India.

00:07Everyone has one trait of the technique.

00:10Where the spin goes, they are coming from the back.

00:15It was not like that before.

00:18It was like your first step.

00:20The spin was very good.

00:22Do you think about the technique of the spin?

00:27Or do you think about the basis?

00:29Look, the first thing is that we should not compare our values.

00:33Because in our values or my values, there was no DRS and many other things.

00:38But again, I think if you look at this,

00:41there are many young players in this dressing room.

00:44It is not that there is a lot of experience in this dressing room.

00:47If you look at it from above to below,

00:51if you talk about batting unit, there is not much experience.

00:54But I am sure that more than the skill,

00:56in the test match cricket, there is no skill and mental toughness.

01:00Because in the test cricket,

01:01if you don't absorb pressure in the test cricket,

01:03because as much as you turn the wicket,

01:05the first 10-15 minutes will be tough.

01:08If you see off,

01:10you will get used to the pace of the wicket.

01:13So I think more than the skill,

01:17I think it is the ability to absorb pressure.

01:19I think it is a difficult thing.

01:21What is the point that it is the leader of the wicket

01:27in India?

01:28Do you think the wicket in the way it is the best for playing?

01:30Because it is so hard to play,

01:33because it is too hard to play with both sides.

01:35We will be able to play with both sides.

01:37So we will play with India.

01:40foreign

01:44foreign

01:54foreign

02:00foreign

02:08foreign

02:10this is the turning track

02:12this is the turning track

02:14but if you look at the majority of the wicket seamers

02:18if you look at the turning track

02:20seamers

02:22I don't think that this is the most difficult

02:24wicket

02:26where your technique

02:28can be

02:30challenge

02:32and your mental toughness

02:34is important

02:36because if you look at the grind

02:38if you look at the batting

02:40then you can make a run

02:42but if you are in the attacking mindset

02:44or attacking cricket

02:46then it's difficult

02:48which people have defended

02:50like KL Rahul or Timba Babuma

02:52or Washington Sundar

02:54so ultimately

02:56if you have defended

02:58then it's not a wicket

03:00we have played like this

03:02yes

03:04do you think pitches like this

03:06allows batters to develop

03:08and play to the best of their abilities

03:10when there's so much turn on offer

03:12on consistent basis?

03:14when there was so much turn on offer

03:15still what

03:16the majority of wickets went to the seamers

03:18no the point is that

03:20you should be able to know how to play turn

03:22and this is what we asked for

03:24and this is what we got

03:25I thought the curator was very supportive

03:27and I still believe that

03:28irrespective of how the wicket was

03:30it was

03:31123 was chaseable

03:32and I felt that if you are willing to put your head down

03:34and if you have a solid defence

03:36if you have the temperament

03:37you can definitely score runs

03:38yes

03:39it might not be a wicket

03:40which is going to be very very flamboyant

03:42where you can play those big shots

03:43but if you are willing to put your head down

03:45definitely it's a wicket where you can score

03:47more than a ton

03:48more than a ton

03:49I think the inconsistent bounce came into it a lot

03:52both for seamer and spinner

03:54was that something

03:55that you can't control

03:57when you are preparing a pitch

03:59or what was the sort of pitch that you were ideally looking for?

04:03this is exactly the pitch we were looking for

04:05this is exactly the pitch

04:07and I feel that

04:09as I just mentioned before

04:11that the curator was very very helpful

04:15and this is exactly what we wanted

04:17and this is exactly what we got

04:19when you don't play well

04:20this is what happens

04:22you said

04:26it wasn't an unplayable spin

04:28so

04:29at 10 for 2

04:30what were the thoughts at lunch time

04:32because it wasn't

04:34it didn't look as tough to bat

04:35let's say

04:36yesterday it wasn't

04:37the bounce also wasn't doing as much

04:39like it did say towards the end of yesterday

04:41so

04:42what was it at lunch?

04:43look obviously it was tough

04:45because we always knew that we were one down

04:47because obviously Shuman wasn't there

04:49and then losing 2 before lunch

04:51obviously literally you were 3 rounds

04:53but we always felt that if we can get those partnerships

04:55if we can have a 50 rounds partnership

04:57or a 240 rounds partnership

04:59we will be in the game

05:00and we were at one stage

05:01having that kind of a partnership as well

05:03when Throvan, Washi were batting

05:05and then when Washi and Jadu were batting

05:08so it's about

05:09what

05:10from 30 if you can get to that 60 rounds partnership

05:12that is where the game is

05:14and again it boils down to

05:15whether we have the ability at that time

05:17to absorb the pressure and keep building

05:19breaking those big targets into those small targets

05:23how

05:24hello

05:25hello

05:26this is a low target

05:27which we have access

05:29this was the last 90-90 and this was the last 90-90

05:32but it was the last 24-90

05:33as we had to go to New Zealand series

05:35and we had to go to the first match

05:37so

05:38i see that

05:39the best performance of the match

05:41we are playing

05:42the ball-up is well

05:43but the best performance of the performance

05:45is not stable

05:46First thing is that you are as a team and as a team can only win

05:50It's not that you have a department of test match and a department of test match

05:55So if you have a bowler's hand in the hand, it's a run

06:01If you have a batman bowling baller, it's a run

06:05So this is not that batsmen are test match

06:0811 and 11 because of the reason we are in the tracing room

06:12So we can win the test match.

06:14When we win, we win and win.

06:16We win and win.

06:18We can spin against our skills.

06:20We can better our temperament.

06:22We can play big shots in our house.

06:24We can play big shots.

06:26But we don't have to do craft.

06:28We need to better our skills.

06:30Just talking about this test match.

06:32On a scale of 1 to 10, how much will you give to your battles?

06:36Look, it's a tough one.

06:38I don't believe in honesty giving marks.

06:42It's not right on my part to give marks out of 10 and all this stuff.

06:46I've said it before.

06:48I think we lose together.

06:50We win together.

06:51It's not fair that we start putting the blame on the battles as well.

06:54I think they've tried everything possible.

06:56They gave everything they had.

06:58But yes, we still need to keep getting better if you want to play on these kind of wickets.

07:02We know that you will be all in favour of your battles.

07:09You just stand in front of them on a day like this.

07:12But talking about accountability when Aksar, he picked up two sixes.

07:17And then there was another big shot he tried to play.

07:20What do you feel about it?

07:22Still, it was match-on.

07:24Again, it's not right on my part to mention or talk about one individual.

07:30Obviously, he tried giving his best.

07:31He thought that that was the best option for him to probably take on a left-hands winner.

07:34And he exactly did that.

07:35Because he was backing himself to take on the left-hands winner.

07:39Eventually, it was about scoring 30 runs.

07:41It wasn't about just going out there and keep blocking.

07:43Because we had to score runs to win a test match.

07:46And probably for him, it was the best option.

07:48And we backed that option.

07:49Before that, it was coming off.

07:50It didn't come off.

07:51Obviously, you can ask that question.

07:54But I feel that I think for him, for us, it was the right call what he was doing at that time.

07:59Last question.

08:00You spoke about skills and temperament.

08:04Obviously, the guys have that.

08:05That's why they have come to this level.

08:07But if they are lacking a little bit and when they play so much,

08:10then are these skills that can be improved upon?

08:13And if so, how do you go about changing that?

08:16I think more than the skills, I think it's about handling and absorbing pressure.

08:20International cricket is all about pressure.

08:23Rather than thinking about pressure, you've got to start embracing pressure.

08:26And that is something which, when we play on wickets like these,

08:30or when we play in Indian conditions, when we are chasing in the fourth inning,

08:33that is something which we need to get better at.

08:35Obviously, skills are there.

08:37That's why they're here.

08:38They've done well in domestic cricket.

08:40They've done really well wherever they've played.

08:41That's why they're playing international cricket and playing for the country.

08:44But more importantly, I think if we can get better from handling the pressure,

08:50I think we'll be fine.

08:51And that is something which, individually and collectively,

08:54we need to keep talking about and keep getting better at.

08:57So, first of all, there are no high sides in test cricket.

08:58The skipper felt, we felt that having two left-hand spinners against him,

08:59was it not?

09:00No, first of all, there are no high sides in test cricket.

09:04The skipper felt, we felt that having two left-hand spinners against them on this wicket can be useful.

09:16And that is where he started.

09:18And, again, it was a right call.

09:19Again, all the calls, most of the calls what we've taken today, tactically, was, I thought, spot on.

09:23Sometimes, we can keep talking about it when we don't get the results.

09:25If we would have got the results, no one would have spoken about that not starting with Jaspreet Bhumra

09:26or not starting with a fast bowler was the right move.

09:27I thought, tactically, we were fine.

09:28And from Rishabh's point of view, look, he's a world-class baton.

09:30He plays in a certain way.

09:31He can take the game away as well.

09:32And we'll keep backing him to where he started, where he started.

09:33And, again, it was a right call.

09:34Again, all the calls, most of the calls what we've taken today, tactically, was, I thought, spot on.

09:40Sometimes, we can keep talking about it when we don't get the results.

09:43If we would have got the results, no one would have spoken about that not starting with Jaspreet Bhumra

09:47or not starting with a fast bowler was the right move.

09:49I thought, tactically, we were fine.

09:52And from Rishabh's point of view, look, he's a world-class baton in this format.

09:56He plays in a certain way.

09:57He can take the game away as well.

09:58And we'll keep backing him to play this way as well.

10:01Because sometimes, you've got to tell people to play the natural game.

10:04And more importantly, be a little smart as well.

10:07So, I think, he's playing after a long time.

10:10And I'm sure, coming in future, he will deliver.

10:12He will deliver.

10:13Great question.

11:12he's still being assessed so let's see the physios will take a call today evening and

11:20we'll take a call tomorrow thank you

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