Ahead of the second Test match between India and Sri Lanka, scheduled to take place at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo on Sunday (August 23rd), India's head coach Gautam Gambhir publicly commented on the criticism and the state of India's Test play.
Gambhir clearly stated that his priority is winning trophies for the Indian team, rather than gaining popularity on social media. He emphasized that he does not pay much attention to criticism or public recognition in the media space.
The head coach noted: 'My job is to win trophies. I care about that and I believe in it. My job is not to get likes and views.'
These statements came amid ongoing discussions regarding India's Test results and the quality of Gambhir's coaching. The coach made it clear that the team's achievements are more important to him than external opinions.
Gambhir also spoke about India's current ranking in Tests and the recent game. He suggested that the ranking should not be given excessive importance and considers it incorrect to call the team fighting for results. He stated: 'The ranking means nothing. We are not fighting. After the tour of England, we played decent Test cricket.'
The second match between India and Sri Lanka will be held at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, starting at 10 am local time. This match is of great importance to India as the team aims to continue its Test momentum with strong performances in the series.
Gambhir's statements before the second match demonstrated that the team management is currently unwilling to succumb to the influence of criticism, rankings, or social media noise. It is worth noting that India previously won the first Test in Galle by 165 runs, and the team is now aiming for a victory in Colombo to win the series 2-0.