India’s Head Coach Gautam Gambhir Confident Ahead of Final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Sydney
Sydney, January 2: With the final match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy approaching, India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, expressed his “extreme confidence” in his team’s ability to secure a win against Australia in the upcoming Sydney Test.
India enters the final match of the series on the back of an 184-run loss to Australia in the Melbourne Test, which gave the hosts a 2-1 lead. This defeat also dashed India’s hopes of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final at Lord’s early next year. Despite the setback, Gambhir remains unwavering in his belief that the Indian side has what it takes to prevail in Sydney.
During a pre-match press conference, Gambhir emphasized that the team has the right skill set and individual talent to clinch victory in the fifth and final match of the series. He highlighted the potential for even greater achievements in the future with the current squad.
“Extremely, extremely confident. You know, we’ve got the skill set, we’ve got the individuals, we’ve got everything in the dressing room that can win a test match here. Not only here, but probably go on to do some unbelievable things in the future as well. So, extremely confident,” Gambhir said.
However, India will need to adjust to a forced change in their lineup. Gambhir confirmed that pacer Akash Deep would be absent from the Sydney Test due to a back injury. The 28-year-old will not feature in the playing eleven, leaving the team to manage without him in the final match of the series.
“As of now, Akash Deep is out (for the fifth test) due to a back injury,” Gambhir stated.
India’s squad for the final match includes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Sarfaraz Khan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Tanush Kotian, Dhruv Jurel, and Harshit Rana.
The final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground, starting January 3, with both teams gearing up for a thrilling conclusion to the series.
