India head coach Gautam Gambhir backed Virat Kohli after he failed to perform in the two Test match series against Bangladesh. Kohli just scored 99 runs in four innings against Bangladesh where Men in Blue registered a dominating 2-0 win against Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side.
Kohli's last fifty-plus Test match score came in 2023 against South Africa at Centurion in December 2023, in his last eight innings. His form will be crucial for India in the upcoming three Test match series against New Zealand and after that India's tour to Australia next month.
"See, my thoughts about Virat have always been very clear that he is a world-class cricketer. He has performed for such a long period of time. He is as hungry as when he made his debut. To now, his hunger is always there," Gambhir told reporters.
"That hunger is what makes him a world-class cricketer. I am sure that he will be hungry to get runs in this series and probably moving forward to Australia as well," he added.
Gambhir said the prolific batter, once he gets into "those runs scoring phases", is remarkably consistent.
"So, I am sure that he will be looking for these three Test matches in the series and then to Australia."
Gambhir reiterated his opinion that a player should not to be judged on the basis of a one bad match or a series.
"You don't keep judging people after every game. If you keep judging people after every game, that's not fair on them. It's a sport and people are bound to fail.
"But more importantly, I think if we can get the results, if people are doing what is needed of them to get the results in our favour, that is fine," he noted.
He backed the team saying that it's impossible to for everyone to have the best days every day.
"Everyone doesn't have the best days everyday. I think the kind of vibe we have is we keep backing our players. My job is to keep backing the players. My job is to keep selecting the best playing 11, not dropping anyone.
"I'm sure everyone is hungry and they know there are eight Test matches in a row. So, this is probably the start of them looking at eight Test matches in a row and performing well," said Gambhir.
India vs New Zealand three Test match series is scheduled to start from October 16 where the first match will be played at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, second and third Test matches will be played at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium and Wankhede Stadium respectively.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024 schedule
The five-Test match series between India and Australia (Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024 is scheduled to start from November 22 the first Test take place in Perth.
The second Test will be held from December 6 to 10 at Adelaide Oval, featuring the thrilling day-night format under the stadium's lights.
Following that, the action moves to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test, scheduled for December 14 to 18. The series will then reach a pivotal moment with the traditional Boxing Day Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, running from December 26 to 30.
Finally, the fifth and concluding Test will unfold at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exhilarating finish to this captivating series.
