India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has highlighted mental strength as a defining factor for the team’s young batters ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scheduled from January 21 to March 3, 2027. The five-match series will be played across Nagpur, Chennai, Guwahati, Ranchi and Ahmedabad.

Australia’s bowling attack presents a significant challenge, featuring experienced campaigners Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon. These bowlers bring extensive Test cricket experience against India’s young batting lineup. Gambhir acknowledged the challenge while emphasising what separates success from failure in the format.

“Looking forward to it. That is probably one thing which I’m absolutely looking forward to, because playing against Australia at home, and obviously it wasn’t the best when we went to Australia. And for me, I think it is going to be India versus Australia, but before that, it is New Zealand. But the other challenge against Australia will be their experienced bowling attack. They’ve got the likes of obviously Starc, Nathan Lyon, Cummins, and Hazlewood,” Gambhir said as quoted by NDTV Sports.

“Obviously they’ve got so much experience of playing Test cricket against our young batting lineup. So it’s going to be a great experience for these guys. More importantly, in Test cricket, it’s about the skill, but it’s about how mentally strong and how much pressure you can absorb. The more pressure you absorb, and the more pressure you embrace, it’s going to give yourself the best chance,” he added.

Preparation will give you results: Gambhir

Preparation time has emerged as a critical factor in India’s Test performance. During the recent tour of Sri Lanka, India secured more than 400 runs in both innings of both Test matches. The team arrived 10 days before the first Test match, allowing adequate preparation against spin bowling. This contrasted sharply with earlier series where preparation time was limited.

“But you could see that in Sri Lanka, we played two Test matches, and we got more than 400 runs in both the innings. And the reason was that we prepared extremely well. We went 10 days before the Test match, we could prepare playing spin, and then you could see the results as well. The thing is, I’m not going to give any excuses, but that’s the reality,” Gambhir said.

“When we played the Test series against South Africa, we were coming after playing a T20 series from Australia. And we had two days before the first Test match. I remember coming from Brisbane, and then we reached Calcutta. We had two practice sessions, and we were straightaway into the Test match against South Africa,” he added.

We need to plan for spin: Gambhir

The importance of early arrival and spin preparation was underscored by Gambhir’s analysis of the Sri Lanka tour. Playing in Sri Lanka’s conditions against experienced spinners required specific preparation. The improvement shown by India’s batters in scoring 400-plus runs in both innings of both Test matches demonstrated the value of adequate preparation time.

“When we went to Sri Lanka early, you could see the way guys played spin, because Sri Lanka isn’t easy conditions. In their own backyard, the weather, their spinners, their experienced spinners against our batting lineup. If you can get 400-plus in both the innings in both the Test matches, that just shows that there is a lot of improvement happening. So we will have to prepare well before New Zealand and before Australia, and obviously the focus is on spin, yes, that how well can we manage and how well can we negate spin,” Gambhir said.

Test cricket need to be divine: Gambhir

Young cricketers Devdutt Padikkal and Manav Suthar have been cited as examples of players who prioritise red-ball cricket. Gambhir emphasised the importance of the next generation valuing Test cricket in an era dominated by T20 cricket’s financial rewards and media attention. The development of young players through structured pathways has been crucial to their growth.

“Extremely important, because both of them are young, both of them are hungry, both of them value Test cricket. It is so important for the next generation who’s coming in to value Test cricket, because in today’s day and age, with so much of focus and so much of limelight and so much of monetary gains that are associated with T20 cricket, how we can keep Test cricket divine, and above the other two formats is going to be key. Also, how much value a young generation or the new guys coming in gives that red-ball cricket is going to be key. That’s why I said, a strong Test-cricketing nation is going to be a strong cricketing nation,” Gambhir said.

“When it comes to Manav and Dev, I think they value Test cricket, they’re disciplined, hungry, and prepare really well. And Manav, we’ve seen that I’ve got to give selectors and BCCI a lot of credit because the way they’ve handled Manav, for the amount of opportunities he’s got, the way he’s been groomed over such a long period of time, the amount of A tours he’s done and bowled in different conditions… So my belief is that the better we prepare, the better opportunity we have to deliver,” he concluded.

Gautam Gambhir has indicated that some of India’s leading batters may need a break from ODI cricket to focus on Test preparations during the upcoming multi-format tour of New Zealand. The India head coach highlighted the challenge of switching from 50-over to five-day cricket within a compressed schedule, where the transition demands significant mental and technical adjustment.

The tour presents a significant scheduling challenge for India’s squad. The first Test in Wellington is set to begin on November 19, merely three days after the fifth and final ODI concludes in Tauranga. Across all formats, the marathon tour will feature 12 games, requiring careful management of player workload and preparation time.

“Often for Test match preparation, you will have to give your batters a break as well from the white-ball to move into Test cricket, because coming from T20 to one-day cricket is easy,” Gambhir said as quoted by India Today.

Why batters need a break from white-ball cricket?

Gambhir acknowledged the tension between maintaining continuity across formats and the practical need to rotate players strategically. He recognised that coaches and selectors ideally want players competing in all three formats, yet the modern schedule makes this increasingly difficult to achieve.

“Look, ideally for any coach it is very important that as many players play all three formats, the better it is, because continuity in international cricket is very important,” Gambhir said.

Balancing format rotation with Test priorities

Gambhir emphasised that building a strong Test cricketing foundation remains central to India’s long-term strategy. The head coach has consistently prioritised the longest format as a marker of overall cricketing strength, particularly when introducing younger players to international cricket.

“When you are getting the new guys in, obviously trying to make them feel how important Test cricket is, because I’m a very big believer that a strong Test cricketing nation is a strong cricketing nation,” Gambhir said.

During his two years as India’s head coach, Gambhir has overseen both significant achievements and challenging defeats.

“I think I’ve had my own share of ups and downs, I think I’ve had my own failures and success. But again, I’ve always believed that when you take up that kind of a responsibility, there will always be ups and downs,” said Gambhir.

Zaheer Khan has been appointed as Chennai Super Kings head coach for IPL 2027, taking over from Stephen Fleming, who stepped down in July 2026 after 16 years in the role. Fleming’s tenure saw CSK win five IPL titles, but the franchise finished eighth in the 2026 season with six wins and eight losses. Khan’s contract with CSK is for one year.

R Ashwin has suggested that Sanju Samson could emerge as a potential candidate to replace Ruturaj Gaikwad as CSK captain following Khan’s appointment. Ashwin stated his views on the captaincy situation at the franchise as speculation grows about possible leadership changes under the new head coach.

“If what I am hearing is right, it looks like Sanju Samson might have a good shot at becoming captain. I am hearing that Sanju could get a chance at captaincy. But I don’t know how true it is,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Samson’s performance in the 2026 IPL season strengthens the case for his captaincy credentials. The Rajasthan Royals batter scored 477 runs at an average of 47.70 during the tournament, demonstrating consistent form with the bat. His run-scoring ability and consistency made him one of the standout performers in the league.

Gaikwad’s captaincy record in 2026 presents a contrasting picture. The CSK captain scored 337 runs at an average of 24.07 in the same season, while winning 14 of his 33 matches as captain. His individual batting form dipped compared to previous seasons, and the team’s overall performance led to their eighth-place finish in the league standings.

“It will be interesting to see if Zaheer Khan wants Ruturaj Gaikwad to remain captain or wants a change in leadership,” the former India off-spinner stated.

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Zaheer has been tasked with reviving CSK’s fortunes in the IPL after the Men in Yellow have failed to qualify for the playoffs in three consecutive seasons. Whether Gaikwad continues or Samson takes over, the main objective will be to bring back the glory days for one of the most successful franchises in the tournament’s history.