Colombo, August 22, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has urged Kuldeep Yadav to focus on maintaining control and delivering quality spells rather than becoming overly eager to take wickets, as India weigh their bowling combination ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka.
The second Test begins on Sunday, with India holding a 1-0 lead after a 165-run victory in the series opener in Galle. Kuldeep claimed only one wicket in that match, while his place in the playing XI has since generated considerable discussion. India also have uncapped off-spin all-rounder Saransh Jain as an option if they want greater variety in their attack.
Gambhir said the priority would be to select the bowling combination most capable of taking 20 wickets, regardless of whether that means playing multiple left-arm spinners, an off-spinner or three seamers.
“We will try and pick the best bowling attack which can get us 20 wickets,” Gambhir said at the pre-match press conference. “You can score 1,000 runs in Test cricket, but there is no guarantee that you are going to win a Test match. But if you get 20 wickets, you have all the probability and possibility of winning the Test match.”
He stressed that the final combination would also depend on the captain’s assessment of the conditions and the roles required from individual bowlers.
“For me, I think the conversation that I have had with Kuldeep is just try and bowl your good spell rather than looking desperate to take wickets because sometimes, as a wrist spinner, when you are looking and you are desperate to take wickets, I think your control can go away as well,” Gambhir said.
He added that India continue to rate Kuldeep highly and consider him capable of being a major threat in different conditions.
Gambhir also defended the strategy of fielding five specialist bowlers, particularly on flat pitches. He said having five genuine bowling options allows India to rotate their attack more effectively and reduces the workload on seamers.
“If it’s too flat, then the bowlers will have to work hard and maybe extra hard work because as I said, you will have to take 20 wickets if you want to win the Test match,” he said.
Gambhir pointed out that even if a team scores 700 runs, failing to take 20 wickets can ultimately result in a draw. He said the presence of five proper bowlers gives the team greater flexibility, allowing seamers to be brought back when they can create an impact rather than merely being used defensively.
Reflecting on the Galle Test, Gambhir praised the pitch for offering something to batters, spinners and seamers. He said India had worked hard across all five days, particularly by batting first, spending four to four-and-a-half sessions at the crease and building a substantial total before their bowlers struck.
“We’re not going to say that it was a perfect Test match, but that is how we want to see Test wicket going forward as well so that teams have to work extremely hard to win a Test match over the course of five days,” he said.
The coach also welcomed the emergence of young players such as Devdutt Padikkal and Manav Suthar, saying their performances reflected the growing depth in India’s red-ball setup.
Gambhir said Padikkal had waited for his opportunity while Sai Sudharsan occupied the No. 3 position and made the most of his chance when it arrived. He similarly praised Suthar for stepping up when given an opportunity, including on his debut against Afghanistan.
He said the management would give young players a longer run rather than judging them on one or two performances.
“You can’t judge players by only one or two performances,” Gambhir said. “We want to give them a longer rope. At the same time, we will keep backing them because there will be ups and downs in Test cricket.”
Gambhir also said the continued presence of players such as Sai Sudharsan in the dressing room would further strengthen competition and depth in the squad.
On Yashasvi Jaiswal’s tendency to get dismissed while attempting the cut shot, Gambhir rejected the idea of asking the opener to abandon the stroke. Instead, he called for better execution.
“Look, don’t curb the shot. Just get better at it,” he said, arguing that batters should refine the strokes that are part of their natural scoring game rather than stop playing them altogether.
Gambhir said the same principle should apply to other shots, including the pull, adding that players should work on improving their execution instead of being instructed to eliminate a particular stroke from their game.
India will now look to carry the momentum from their Galle victory into the second Test and take another step towards securing the series.
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