Gautam Gambhir, former Indian batsman said that Virat Kohli-led Indian side should focus on the pink-ball Test rather than thinking about the World Test Championships, ahead of the 3rd Test against England which will be a day-night affair at Ahmedabad.
The race to reach the final of the World Test Championship is heating up every match even though New Zealand have already qualified for the showpiece match after Australia’s pullout of the tour of South Africa.
Gautam Gambhir: Every Match Is Important But India Should Focus On The 3rd Pink Ball Test
India and England have the chance besides Australia to reach the final to be held at Lord’s later this year. Meanwhile, Australian chances hinge on the result of the ongoing series between India and England. Australia will go through if the series is drawn or England wins by 2-1 whereas India will go through if they win 2-1 or 3-1 and England will reach the finals if they are victorious by a 3-1 margin.
The four-match series between India and England currently stands level at 1-1 after England won the 1st Test by 227 runs before losing the next by 317 runs. If India wins the ongoing series by at least a margin of 2-1, then the side would qualify for the finals of the WTC.
“Every Test match is important, one should not keep on thinking about the World Test Championship. The team should focus on this pink-ball game. I think it would be a good Test match,” Gautam Gambhir told ANI.
The WTC final will definitely be on the mind of the team management of both countries as they take on each other in the third Test at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad. The Day/Night Test between India and England begins on Wednesday 24th February and a favourable result would be important in their quest for a WTC final spot.
Gautam Gambhir played 58 Test, 147 ODI and 37 T20Is for India. The 39-year-old Gautam Gambhir last played a Test in 2016. Gautam Gambhir played an integral part in India’s wins in the finals of both the 2007 World Twenty20 (75 runs from 54 balls) and the 2011 Cricket World Cup (97 from 122).
Rohit Sharma: India Will Be Happy To Qualify For The WTC Finals But It Is Too Far Ahead Still
Earlier in the day, Indian opening batsman Rohit Sharma said that the final of the WTC is too far ahead, and the side is just focusing on following the right process.
“To be honest, when we are playing the game, the focus is not on the outside. We want to qualify for the WTC finals, but we still to do a lot of things right to be there. We will be very happy to qualify for the WTC finals, but there are little steps that we need to take before we reach the finals. It is too far ahead still, we have got two Tests to play before that, we will see what happens after that,” said Rohit during a virtual press conference on Sunday.
“You just have to focus on the process, you do not need to think too far ahead. If you try to stay in present, I do not think you will feel any pressure. It is a five-day game, so the focus and pressure changes every day.“It is important to be in the moment and think about what you need to do on the given day to get the best out of your skillset. When you do those little things right, it adds up and you achieve what you always wanted to achieve as a team,” he added.
India had achieved an emphatic 317-run win against England in the second Test of the ongoing four-match series. As a result, the Virat Kohli-led side has also reached the second spot in WTC standings. India and England will lock horns in a pink-ball Test at Motera Stadium, beginning February 24.