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“Always Under Pressure”: Gambhir Speaks On Expectations Before England Tour

Kaushik Kashyap

Gautam Gambhir before flying to England. [Source - mufaddalvohra/x.com]Gautam Gambhir before flying to England. [Source - mufaddalvohra/x.com]

India are all set to begin a five-Test series against England starting June 20 at Headingley. In the lead-up to the tour, the BCCI has scheduled a pre-departure press conference featuring newly appointed Test captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir.

This was Gill’s first official media interaction since taking over the Test captaincy from Rohit Sharma, who recently retired from Test cricket. With the absence of Rohit Sharma and the evergreen Virat Kohli in the format from now, and veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin stepping away in December 2024, this tour marks a significant transition for Indian cricket.

Coaching India Offers No Breathers

Gautam Gambhir addressed the press, shedding light on the kind of pressure and expectations that come with coaching the Indian Test side, especially during a high-stakes away series in the UK after the recent Champions Trophy success. 

He acknowledged the magnitude of the challenge, emphasizing the constant pressure that comes while trying to get results for the country.

“First of all, I am always under pressure. Regardless of whether I would have won the Champions Trophy or not. Because being the coach, you want the results for the country,” Gambhir said.

However, its no rocket science that despite the Champions Trophy win, Gambhir will be under scrutiny after the 3-1 Border-Gavaskar Trophy loss, especially given India’s recent strong Test record overseas. With a young squad, he will be eager to prove himself and make a mark in red-ball cricket on English soil.

Shubman Gill’s Test Empire Starts Now

Shubman Gill, now leading India in Tests at just 25, spoke about the honour and responsibility of captaincy and expressed his belief in the team’s readiness to embrace the new chapter in absence of the likes of Rohit and Kohli. 

As India embarks on this crucial tour, all eyes will be on how this young leadership group handles the pressure and takes the opportunity to shape a new era in the toughest format of the game.

Ahead of the senior team’s arrival, several Indian players are already in the UK as part of the India A squad, which is playing a series of unofficial Tests in preparation for the big tour. 

The second unofficial Test is set to begin on June 6, and while newly appointed Test captain Shubman Gill will not feature, key names like KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Dhruv Jurel are expected to be in action.