Wed Oct 16 11:44:35 UTC 2024: ## India Eyeing Continued Dominance in Home Tests Against New Zealand
**Bengaluru, India:** Ahead of the upcoming three-Test series against New Zealand, India’s Head Coach Gautam Gambhir has backed Virat Kohli to perform well, stating that the star batsman is as hungry for runs as he was during his debut. Gambhir believes Kohli will be a key factor in the series and the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“Virat has always been a world-class cricketer,” Gambhir said in a press conference. “He has performed for so long, and he has the same hunger he had when he made his debut. I remember opening with him when he made his debut in Sri Lanka. That hunger is still there. That’s what makes him a world-class cricketer, and I’m sure he’ll be hungry to score runs in this series, and probably in Australia too. And we know how consistently he can perform once he starts scoring runs.”
Kohli has a strong record against New Zealand, scoring 866 runs in 11 Tests at an average of 45.57, including three centuries and three half-centuries. His highest score against the Kiwis is 211.
The team has also included Kuldeep Yadav, despite the spinner missing the Bangladesh Test. “We don’t leave anyone out; we just pick the XI we think can work,” Gambhir clarified. “We have a lot of good bowlers, including Kuldeep.”
While acknowledging the challenge New Zealand poses, Gambhir highlighted India’s confidence and determination. “They have players who can do the job for them, so we respect them, but we are not afraid of anyone,” he said. “I have said this many times, we will always respect every opposition team, we want to be selfless, we want to be humble, we want to play the game as much as possible on the cricket field.”
Gambhir also emphasized the team’s commitment to adaptability, aiming to be a versatile unit capable of both high-scoring days and grinding out draws. “That’s what we call growth, that’s what we call adaptability, that’s what we call Test cricket,” he elaborated. “If you keep playing the same way, it’s not growth. We have players who can score 400 or 450 runs in a day, and we also have players who can bat for two days to draw a Test match. And that’s the kind of cricket we want to play. No other kind of cricket.”
Despite sitting atop the ICC World Test Championship table, India is solely focused on the New Zealand series, with the Championship standings being a secondary consideration.
India announced a 15-member squad for the series on Friday, with Jasprit Bumrah officially named as Rohit Sharma’s deputy. The first Test begins on October 16th in Bengaluru.
India has been a dominant force at home, remaining undefeated in a Test series since 2012-13. They have won 18 consecutive series at home, achieving an impressive 4,000-day unbeaten streak. New Zealand, on the other hand, is reeling from a recent 2-0 whitewash against Sri Lanka. They will be hoping to turn their fortunes around against a formidable Indian team.
First Piper 