Head coach Gautam Gambhir on Thursday refuted the claims that Indian batters' skill set against quality spin bowling has deteriorated over last few years but felt that the slam-bang nature of T20 cricket has affected players' defence. India were found wanting once again at Pune in the second Test as their 113-run loss on a spin-friendly pitch ended their 12-year unbeaten run on home soil.
"I don't think so," Gambhir asserted when asked if Indian batters' spin negotiating skills have gone down.
"Sometimes you have to give it to the opposition as well. Mitchell Santner was outstanding in the last game. But yes, we'll keep working hard, we'll keep getting better. Guys are putting in a lot of hard yards in the nets.
"Ultimately it's the results that matter when you're playing international cricket but I don't think that our skill against spin has actually gone down. It's about probably keep working hard and keep getting better," Gambhir said on the eve of the final Test.
Gambhir said the cricketers are now so used to playing fast-paced and hard-hitting cricket, that it might have impaired the art of defence.
"Sometimes you're so used to muscling the ball that you end up forgetting the soft hands which probably used to happen eight or 10 years back. A complete cricketer is a cricketer who plays T20 format and Test cricket successfully. He can adapt his game.
"Growth is not only about hitting the ball in the stands. It's also about batting sessions on a turning track where you know that you will not be able to hit in the stands but you'll be able to rotate better. For that, I think the foundation is very, very important.
"But you will see probably going forward in future, we'll have the same issues with a lot of other teams as well because the more the T20 cricket is played, the lesser people will start defending." Reiterating that dead rubbers are history in Test cricket with teams fighting hard for WTC points, Gambhir said a lot of result-orientation in the format is also due to ever increasing impact of T20 cricket on the batters.
"Every Test match has an importance but it also has a lot to do with T20 cricket as well. Gone are those days where, we'll see a lot of draws in Test cricket because the quality of batters and the hitting ability (has changed).
"There will be more result-oriented (matches). It's the combination of being under pressure every game because of the WTC points and the second thing is T20 cricket as well,” he said. Gambhir said they are aiming to win before embarking on a challenging Australia tour.
"We should try and win this Test match so that we can go to Australia with a win under our belt. It's another great opportunity for people to do something special for the country. We very well know that we represent 140 crore Indians.
"It's another opportunity because very few people get this opportunity and honour to represent the country in Test cricket." With more than 20 net bowers helping the Indians train over two days here at the Wankhede Stadium, Gambhir said they were called in to ensure the batters get long stints in the nets.
"I didn't count how many bowlers were there. But the more the merrier. Probably to just make the guys bat longer and they were quality (bowlers) as well so if they can bat longer in the nets, it's better preparation.
"We know that when we go to places like Australia, we don't get those kind of quality bowlers. We always have the luxury when we're playing at home that we get a lot of bowlers so that guys can bat long and that's about it. There was nothing beyond that." Despite their batters cutting a sorry figure in the first two Tests, Gambhir backed India to adapt to situations accordingly.
"Test cricket needs to be played like Test cricket. We should be a side that can get 400 on a day if we need to get the result and we should be able to bat two days as well. That is what growth is and that is what Test cricket is all about.
"Test cricket can't just be played in one single manner because it's about adaptability. It's about looking at the situation and play according to the situation."
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