'Players are ready to go out and express themselves' - Gautam Gambhir exhibits confidence in team ahead of England tour

India head coach Gautam Gambhir stated that he is in a good space ahead of India’s tour of England. The five-match Test series is set to begin on June 20 at Headingley.

Gambhir expressed confidence in the squad and noted that the players are ready and eager to perform. The former Indian opener also admitted that no final decision has been made regarding Jasprit Bumrah’s availability for all the Tests.

“You are always in a good space. Everyone wants to do well. It does not really matter if it’s a clean slate. We have players who want to go out and express themselves,” said Gambhir at the pre-departure press conference.

“We have not taken the call which Test Bumrah will play. It will depend on the results of the matches as well,” he conceded.

I am always under pressure: Gambhir

Gambhir acknowledged the constant pressure that comes with being the head coach. He addressed that the pressure will be present regardless of outcomes.

“First of all, I am always under pressure. Because being the coach, you want the results. It does not change with winning or losing,” said Gambhir.

Also Read: Ricky Ponting urges Shubman Gill to bat at No. 4 in England Tests

There should be no roadshows: Gambhir

He also addressed the tragic stampede that occurred during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) victory celebration on June 4, where 11 people lost their lives. Gambhir mourned the loss and emphasized the importance of responsibility when organizing such events.

“I do not think we should have roadshows. In the future, we can be more sure about this. My heart goes out to the people who lost their lives. We are all equally responsible for this. All I can say is, we need to be responsible. Every life matters. If we are not ready to hold a road show, we should not do that. You cannot lose 11 people,” Gambhir concluded.

India squad for the England Test series

Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk/vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.

India schedule for the England tour: