If you enjoyed Kanpur, have to accept 46-all out in Bengaluru: Gautam Gambhir

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has defended his side's approach after their eight-wicket loss to New Zealand in the first Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru, last week. The hosts were blown away for 46 runs in the first innings on Day 1 and despite a much-improved batting performance in the second innings, it wasn't enough to prevent a defeat.

This result came after India's aggressive approach helped them beat Bangladesh in the second Test in Kanpur. Almost three days in the Test were washed away due to rain. However, the attacking mindset of the Indian players helped them to register a famous win.

Gambhir attended the pre-match press conference ahead of the second Test, which begins on (Thursday) October 24, in Pune. The former India opener talked about the defeat and said that they would have to embrace results like in Bengaluru moving forward. The Indian coach pointed out how his side was looking to win the match despite the horrible display in the first innings with the bat. Gambhir asserted that India's first target was always to win Test matches and draw remains the second choice.

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"That's why we call cricket, or rather sports in general, a great leveller. If you enjoy days like we had in Kanpur, then you also have to accept days like the one we had in Bengaluru. But the good thing was that even after being bowled out for 46, we were still looking to win the Test match. That was important, and that's the kind of cricket we want to play," Gambhir said.

"I had said earlier that our first option is always to win, and the second option is a draw. If you look at the second innings as well, there was no intention of just playing for two and a half days. We were thinking about how we could win the game. In fact, if you ask me, we were probably 100 runs away from making the match. So, I don't think many teams would think that way after being bowled out for 46, when they still had to bat for more than two and a half days. But that’s the quality of cricket we want to play going forward," he added.

Selecting the playing XI for any Test match in India is a headache: Gautam Gambhir

Shubman Gill, Sarfaraz Khan, and KL Rahul are competing for two spots in India's playing XI for the second Test. Gill missed the last game due to neck stiffness and Sarfaraz made the most of his opportunity by smashing an exhilarating 150. Rahul, however, missed out in both innings. Gambhir opined that choosing India's playing XI in Test cricket is a headache.

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"Look, selecting the playing XI for any Test match in India is a headache because of the amount of talent we have, whether it’s in domestic or international cricket. So, it’s not just that it’s challenging here; it’s a good challenge, in fact. When you have good talent coming in and there’s competition for spots, it’s always a good thing. This means Indian cricket has a strong foundation and is at a good level. I don't think the challenge will be any different in Pune compared to other places; it's always difficult everywhere," Gambhir concluded.