Gautam Gambhir backs 'ever-hungry' Virat Kohli to find form in New Zealand Tests

Head coach Gautam Gambhir, speaking to the press in Bengaluru on his 43rd birthday, said he is confident that Virat Kohli will return to peak form in the upcoming three-Test series against New Zealand. Kohli has not hit a fifty in three Tests played in 2024.

In Short

• Virat Kohli has not yet hit a fifty-plus score in Tests in 2024
• Gambhir said he is confident of Virat Kohli performing well vs New Zealand and Australia
• India will take on New Zealand in the first of a 3-Test series in Bengaluru from October 16

Head coach Gautam Gambhir backed Virat Kohli to score plenty of runs in the upcoming Test series against New Zealand and carry forward the form to Australia. As India prepare to play eight Tests in the next 3 months, Gambhir talked up Kohli's hunger to perform for the team and return to his best in the longest format of the game.

Speaking to the press on his 43rd birthday in Bengaluru, Gautam Gambhir said his opinion about Virat Kohli's greatness has not changed ever since the star batter made his debut in 2008.

"See, my thoughts about Virat have always been very clear. He is a world-class cricketer. He has performed for such a long time. He is as hungry as when he made his debut," Gautam Gambhir said.

"I remember opening the batting with him when he made his debut in Sri Lanka to now, his hunger is always there. That’s what makes him a world-class cricketer. I am sure he will be hungry to get runs in this series, and probably moving forward to Australia as well. Once he gets into the run-scoring form, how consistent he can be. He will be looking forward to these three Tests and the series in Australia," he added.

Concerns have been raised about the lack of big runs from Virat Kohli in Tests. The star batter has played only three Tests in 2024 and is yet to get a fifty-plus score. Against Bangladesh, Kohli managed 6, 17, 47 and 29 not out across four innings. Kohli hit 47 off just 35 balls in the first innings of the Kanpur Test when India went on to break a series of records.

Despite not hitting a big one, Kohli has managed to chip in with crucial contributions to the team in Tests.

UNFAIR TO JUDGE PLAYERS AFTER EVERY GAME: GAMBHIR

Stressing that it's unfair to judge senior players after every game, Gambhir said he is focused on backing players and giving them the space and confidence to wriggle out of lean patches and perform to the best of their ability.

The head coach said India players are aware of the crucial stretch of the World Test Championship cycle, saying the team is looking at the home series against New Zealand and the away series in Australia as a group of 8 Tests in a row.

"See, you don't keep judging people after every game. If you keep judging people after every game, that's not fair to them. It's a sport. People are meant to fail. More importantly, if people can get the results, if they are doing what is needed of them to get the results in our favour, that's fine. There will be times when some people will succeed and some people will fail. If we keep judging our players after every innings, imagine how unfair that would be. It will be very hard.

"The kind of vibe we have, we will keep backing our players. My job is to back our players, my job is to keep the best playing XI and not drop anyone. Everyone is hungry. Everyone is aware that there are 8 Tests in a row and this is probably the start of looking at 8 Tests in a row," he added.

The first Test between India and New Zealand will get underway on October 16 in Bengaluru. The second and the third Tests will begin on October 24 and November 1, respectively, in Pune and Mumbai. India will begin the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia on November 22 with the Test series opener in Perth.