New Delhi, Oct 11: The 0-3 loss to New Zealand at home last year still haunts India head coach Gautam Gambhir and he also doesn’t want his players to forget that rare drubbing in Tests as they build for the future.
The loss to New Zealand was India’s first series defeat in 12 years.
“If I am being honest, and speak from the heart, I don’t think that in my coaching tenure, I can ever forget that, and I should not forget that. I have told this to the boys as well, it is important to look forward, but sometimes it is also important to remember the past as well.
“Everyone thought that we would roll over New Zealand. In that dressing room, we need to keep reminding that New Zealand happened,” Gambhir told JioHotstar.
The whitewash dented India’s chances of playing in a third consecutive World Test Championship (WTC) final. On the subsequent away series to Australia too, India came up short.
That series ended up being the last for greats Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin who said goodbye to the longest format.Gambhir stressed that while the focus remains on building a stronger team for the future, the lessons from the New Zealand series are invaluable.
By remembering past setbacks, he hopes to instil resilience and a winning mindset in his players, ensuring that India learns from its mistakes and remains a formidable force in the longest format of the game. (AP)
