Gautam Gambhir warns Rohit Sharma & Co. against one-dimensional play in Test cricket

India National Cricket Team head coach Gautam Gambhir talked about the kind of approach he wants from his team in the Tests ahead of the New Zealand series. He said that they want to be the team that can score 400 runs in a day and can bat for 2 days to save the game.

Gautam Gambhir's era in the Indian cricket had started on a high. Team India is playing an aggressive brand of cricket. Not only in white-ball cricket, the same has been there in Test cricket as well it was quite evident in the recently concluded two-match Test series against Bangladesh National Cricket Team.

India will be taking on New Zealand National Cricket Team in the three-match Test series

India will now be taking on New Zealand National Cricket Team in the three-match Test series. The series will begin on 16th October and will also be part of the ICC World Test Championship. The series opener between the teams will be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The three Tests will be important for the India National Cricket in the context of the ICC World Test Championship. They would be keeping an eye on a 3-0 whitewash. This is because, after this tour, they are slated to lock horns with Australia down under. Winning three games against the Kiwis would make their road to the ICC World Test Championship final easy.

We want to be the team that can score 400 runs in a day and can bat for 2 days to save a Test match as well - Gautam Gambhir

Ahead of the first Test, Gautam Gambhir mentioned that they are looking for growth and adaptability in Test cricket and they have individuals who can bat aggressively and also bat for two days. He said that he wants players to play their natural game. Speaking to reporters, he explained:

"We want to be the team that can score 400 runs in a day and can bat for 2 days to save a Test match as well. And that is the growth and adaptability that we are looking for. And that is what Test cricket is really. We have a lot of individuals in the dressing room who can bat for two days.

"So, ultimately, the first motive is to win the match. If we're in a situation where we have to play for a draw, then that's the second or the third option. We don't want to play any other type of cricket. We want people to go out there and play the natural game."

I have always maintained that we will play high-risk, high-reward - Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir stressed the importance of playing high-risk, high-reward cricket, saying that there will be days when they will get bundled out for 100 and then take it up. He stressed that they will play risky cricket as they want to keep the game going forward. He added:

"We are not going to hold back people who want to play their natural game. Why do we need to hold back players who can score 400-500 runs in a day? And in terms of T20 cricket, I have always maintained that we will play high-risk, high-reward.

"There will be days when we'll get bundled out for 100 and we'll take it up then. But we'll continue to back our players to go out there and play high-risk cricket. That's how we want to keep the game going forward and get the results in whatever situation we are in."