India head coach Gautam Gambhir backs Rohit Sharma-led side after the eight-wicket loss against New Zealand in the first Test match at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. India were bundled out on just 46 in the first innings as Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin got out on a duck. On the other hand, New Zealand scored 402 runs to take a lead of 356 runs.
Gambhir backed team India giving an example of a dominating win against Bangladesh in the Kanpur Test where India defeated the neighbouring nation by seven wickets despite losing two days because of rain.
"Cricket, sports are a big leveller. If we have enjoyed days like Kanpur we had to endure what happened in Bengaluru. We didn't show any intention to bat out the remainder of the two and a half days," said Gambhir in a pre-match conference.
Team India are scheduled to play three Test matches against New Zealand. Rohit Sharma-led side are currently focussing on the second Test match scheduled to take place in Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. India's young batter Shubman Gill who missed the first Test match because of a slight niggle in his neck is fit for selection and most likely to feature in the upcoming clash scheduled to take place on October 24 to 28.
India wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant who missed the wicketkeeping in the first Test match after getting hit on his right knee on Jadeja's ball is also fit and keep wickets in Pune.
India squad for the second and third Tests against New Zealand
Rohit Sharma (capt), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Washington Sundar.
