Champions Trophy: Gambhir says he’s nonetheless trying to find a ‘good sport’

India’s Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and different gamers after their win in opposition to Australia within the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final cricket match, in Dubai, UAE, Tuesday, March 4, 2025.
| Picture Credit score: PTI

Not the one to be simply happy, India head coach Gautam Gambhir mentioned his staff continues to be trying to find that “good sport” regardless of getting into the Champions Trophy ultimate with an all-win document and he’s hopeful that it will come within the summit conflict on Sunday.

India trounced Australia by 4 wickets within the first semifinal right here on Tuesday (March 4, 2025), with senior batter Virat Kohli making a well-paced 84.

“See, in worldwide sport, you wish to hold bettering. You do not say that you’ve got ticked all of the packing containers. We nonetheless have not performed an ideal sport. I’ll by no means be glad with the performances,” Gambhir mentioned within the post-match press convention.

Gambhir hoped that India can produce that “good sport” within the Champions Trophy title conflict on March 9.

“We nonetheless have yet one more sport to go. Hopefully, we are able to play an ideal sport. We wish to hold bettering, we wish to be ruthless on the cricket discipline however completely humble off the sphere as properly,” he added.

India have taken some daring calls corresponding to taking part in 4 spinners, selling Axar Patel to No.5 and pushing down KL Rahul to No. 6 to swimsuit the staff’s wants.

It might look illogical from outdoors however for Gambhir they have been minor items within the grand plans of retaining the gamers “out of the consolation zone” to extract the perfect out of them.

“I feel cricket is all about being out of your consolation zone, and that’s the way you develop. If everyone seems to be of their consolation zone, then there’s stagnation. So, I consider, and you’ve got seen the outcomes. I do know you guys will hold going again to 3-1 in Australia.

“However everybody within the dressing room is staying out of the consolation zone be it the teaching workers, be it the gamers and hopefully we proceed to do what’s necessary for Indian cricket,” he mentioned.

Future discussions solely after ultimate ‘

In the course of the close to future, Gambhir should sit down with some senior gamers to check about their future plans.

However for now, the previous Indian opener is focussing on the Champions Trophy ultimate with out dropping sight of that necessary and impending dialogue.

“I am somebody who tries to remain, as a lot as I can, within the current and in the mean time, all I can say is that your complete focus goes to be on the sport which is on the ninth.

“After which clearly there is a long-term imaginative and prescient, there is a long-term plan as properly however in the mean time, it is solely the ninth however after the ninth we are able to sit down and plan,” he added.

Gambhir additionally lauded the aspect for the easy method during which it chased down a stiff 265-run goal in opposition to the Aussies right here.

“I feel it was very skilled and the rationale why I say that’s as a result of we had wickets in hand and that was the plan as a result of we all know that clearly pitches right here within the second half can truly get just a little slower.

“We truly deliberate the chase rather well. If you happen to see after 40 overs, we have been solely 4 down. We had two set batters in. So, we knew that the form of high quality we’ve, the form of depth we had, we have been at all times in management,” he famous.