MUMBAI: India may be staring at the possibility of another setback in their World Test Championship campaign and that has increased the antagonism that cricket fans in India have towards head coach Gautam Gambhir. However, on Thursday, Gambhir found support from an old ally. Sri Lanka coach Gary Kirsten threw his weight behind the underfire India head coach, insisting that the former opener’s coaching credentials speak for themselves during a virtual media interaction.Kirsten, a former left-handed opener who coached India from 2008-11, cited Gambhir’s coaching record and said, “He’s a fantastic coach. He’s had incredible success. He has won a T20 World Cup (2026) and the ICC Champions Trophy (2025). He’s also had success in the IPL (Gambhir was the team mentor for 2024 IPL champs Kolkata Knight Riders). His record speaks for itself. I really enjoyed working with him when he was a player. He’s a smart cricketer and I knew he’d have success as coach.”Gambhir played under Kirsten when the South African was with the Indian team. He later coached South Africa (2011-13) and served as Pakistan’s head coach in white-ball cricket for six months in 2024.“It was a great three years and a privileged one to work with Indian players,” Kirsten said. “There was a lot of skill in that dressing room. What I appreciated was that they accepted me into their space and felt I could add value. I’ve approached the Sri Lankan role with the same seriousness.”Lately, India have shown a tendency to struggle against quality spin but Kirsten refused to reveal whether Sri Lanka would specifically target that weakness.Instead, he stressed that the hosts were focused on executing their own skills rather than obsessing over opponents.“We would like to bring all our skills into the game, not just spin,” he specified. “Whether you’re a seamer or a spinner, if you’re executing your skills properly, you’ll be in the game. We’ve done our homework on India and identified areas we may be able to exploit, but cricket unfolds session by session and you adapt accordingly.”The South African chose to be diplomatic when asked about India’s recent batting issues against spin. Instead, he kept steering the conversation back to Sri Lanka’s own preparation. “I’m not here to judge the Indian team,” he said. “They are a quality side with tremendous depth. Our responsibility is to make sure we’re ready, both in terms of skill execution and strategy. The focus remains on our strengths.”He also played down suggestions that Sri Lanka’s plans would revolve solely around left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, whose remarkable record in Galle has earned him the nickname ‘King of Galle’. Jayasuriya has claimed 125 wickets in just 23 Tests, including 81 at the venue. “He’s a world-class bowler and he’s had great success at home,” Kirsten said. “But we don’t build our bowling strategy around one player. Every bowler has a role to play. It’s obviously great to have him in the mix though.”An unapologetic Test cricket-tragic who played in 101 Tests for the Proteas, Kirsten said he preferred longer Test series. “I’m a Test match purist. I love Test cricket. And my personal belief is that every country gets to play at least 10 Tests a year. I was very fortunate to be part of a South African team and to play over 100 Tests over a period of 11 years, which means you’ve got to play somewhere around 10 a year. There are challenges in the modern schedule, but it’s always great when your main Test-playing nations get to play a lot of Test cricket,” said the 58-year-old.Kirsten also welcomed Sri Lanka Cricket’s decision to allow free entry for spectators during the series, saying fuller stadiums create a far better experience. “It’s better to have people in the stadiums than no one,” he said. “I don’t know all the business implications, but from a cricket perspective it’s wonderful.”(Watch the India-Sri Lanka Test series live and exclusive on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV)
