India coach Gautam Gambhir puts focus on 'adaptability' to be successful in Tests

Bengaluru, India

India coach Gautam Gambhir says that they want to be a team which can adapt to any situation - be it scoring fast or bat long to save a Test. The comments come ahead of the first Test against New Zealand. The first of the three Tests starts Wednesday (Oct 16).

"We want to be that team which can score 400 in a day and bat for two days to salvage a draw," Gambhir said at the pre-match press conference in Bengaluru - the venue of the first Test. 

Also Read: 'Dressing room is enjoying...,' India all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy

"And you call that growth, you call that adaptability, you call that Test cricket. If you play only one way, then there is no growth," he added.

India have shown great mindset in Test and T20Is alike during the recent home series against Bangladesh. The Rohit Sharma-led team won the second Test against Bangladesh on back of their belligerent batting despite two days of rain in the Test. Come T20Is, India went on to score 297/6 in the third match - the highest score by a Test playing nation in T20Is.

Gambhir also emphasized that India has players for both situations - whether to bat for two days to save or score freely.

"I can't talk about world cricket. Every team has their ideologies, their methods to play Test cricket. I can only talk about my team. If we are ever in such a situation where we have to bat for two days to draw a Test, we have players in the dressing room who can bat for two days. Ultimately, our first motive is to win a match and then if there is a situation where the team has to play for a draw, we have to keep those options open as well. That is the kind of Test cricket that we want to play," he said.

After the three Tests against New Zealand, India travel to Australia for much-anticipated five-Test Border-Gavaskar series in November next month.