Gambhir's subtle message in his first speech in the dressing room: Take a break but don't come back thinking that.

Gautam Gambhir, in his first dressing room speech, gave a subtle message to the senior Team India players, asking them to take a break from international cricket.

Ankush Pandey Ankush Pandey
Aug 1, 2024 - 17:14 Updated: Aug 1, 2024 - 17:15
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Gambhir's subtle message in his first speech in the dressing room: Take a break but don't come back thinking that.
Gambhir's subtle message in his first speech in the dressing room: Take a break but don't come back thinking that.

India to a 3-0 victory in the T20I series against Sri Lanka, head coach Gautam Gambhir urged caution in his first on-camera speech to the Indian dressing room. The three-match T20I series in Sri Lanka marked the beginning of India's new chapter in the shortest format of the game under Gambhir and new captain Suryakumar Yadav. Both Gambhir and Surya put up strong performances.

India won the first two T20 matches easily. There were times when Sri Lanka's top order put pressure on them, but the way the Indian spinners bounced back every time and demolished the team was commendable. But the true picture of Team India's tough character came to the fore in the third match played in Pallekele on Tuesday.

Chasing 138 to win on a difficult surface, Sri Lanka was reeling at 110/1 in 15 overs when the Indian spinners struck again. Despite India's pressure, Sri Lanka held on to the lead thanks to Kusal Perera. The hosts needed only 9 runs from 12 balls with six wickets in hand.

Then Surya pulled a rabbit out of his hat by handing the ball to Rinku Singh. Bowling for the first time in international cricket, Rinku conceded just three runs and took two wickets, including the all-important wicket of Perera.

Surprises for Surya didn't stop there. Mohammed Siraj, the top pacer for India, had one over remaining when he made the decision to attack in order to take advantage of the situation when the finger spinners were being used. It proved to be a wise option, as Surya scored two more runs to take the game to the Super Over, where India won.

"Guys, congrats on a fantastic series victory. Congratulations to Surya as well; he played a fantastic batsman and captain role. Before the game started, I requested something, and you more than fulfilled my request. "This is what happens when you don't give up and you keep fighting," Gambhir said to the team in a message sent by BCCI on 'X' from the dressing room.

"Games like this keep happening and the only way we can be (in your favor) in these important games is if we keep fighting for every ball and every run and this is an example of that."

Gambhir still advised the team to hone their collective skills on turning tracks, where there is a different challenge, especially for the batting unit.

He said, "We are getting better; we are improving our skills as well because we still need to improve to play on such wickets as we might get such wickets in the future."

He said, "So first of all, we should assess the situation and circumstances and also see what the average score is."

Gambhir's subtle message to the seniors taking break

Players, who will not be playing in the three-match ODI series that starts on Friday were exhorted by Gambhir to enjoy their vacation while continuing to prepare for India's lengthy home Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand.

Make sure you have time for a rest when you return for the Bangladesh series because certain players won't be participating in the 50-over format and will receive a lengthier break. You most certainly deserve it, but even more essential, continue to improve your talent and, in particular, your fitness."

"You don't want to come into the series thinking, 'Okay, I'll do well for the team'. So make sure the fitness levels are right from a fitness point of view," he added.

It is worth noting that Hardik Pandya will not be in the ODI team, as he had asked for a break from the 50-over format due to personal reasons. Gambhir did not name anyone, but the BCCI has made it clear that Hardik will be selected for ODIs only if he proves his fitness in domestic cricket.