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India head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar engaged in a conversation on the sidelines while overseeing the players took part in an intense training session before the first T20I against Australia in Canberra on Wednesday.
Players participated in fielding drills, which included catching practice, before Indian batters hit the net. In-form Abhishek Sharma fine-tuned his technique with a straight drive, cut and down-the-track shots before the five-match series opener. India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav then hit the nets, trying to time his shots before facing Australia's lethal pace attack. This is the first time the T20 world champions and Australia will square off in the shortest format of cricket since their Super 8 match in last year's T20 World Cup. Former captain Rohit Sharma left Australia bamboozled with a rollicking 92 off 41 and lifted India to a comfortable 24-run win. Overall, the two behemoths have faced each other 32 times in T20Is, with India emerging victorious 20 times and Australia winning just 11. Unlike the previous instances, Suryakumar Yadav will lead India, with Rohit retiring from the format after India lifted the T20 World Cup title in Barbados in 2024. Under Suryakumar, India has won 18 of 22 matches, with two ending in defeat. India head coach Gautam Gambhir had high praise for the 34-year-old, noting the atmosphere he has created through his charismatic personality. "Surya is a great human being, and good humans make good leaders. While he speaks highly of me, my role is simply to advise him fairly based on my reading of the game. Ultimately, this is his team. His free-spirited character perfectly matches T20 cricket's essence, it's about freedom and expression," Gambhir said on JioHotstar. "Your off-field personality reflects on the field and in the dressing room, and Surya has maintained this atmosphere brilliantly over the past 1.5 years. From our first conversation, we agreed: we will not fear losing," the Indian head coach added. Gambhir isn't focused on becoming the "most successful coach" but wants to make India the most "fearless team". He revealed the message he gave to players before India triumphed over arch-rival Pakistan in the Asia Cup final. "I don't aim to be the most successful coach; I want us to be the most fearless team. In big games like the Asia Cup final, I told the players it's okay to drop a catch, play a bad shot, or bowl a poor delivery. Human beings make mistakes. Only the opinions of those in the dressing room matter. Surya and I consistently agree: we will never fear mistakes," Gambhir said. "The bigger the game, the more fearless and aggressive we must be. A conservative approach only gives the opposition an advantage. With the talent we have, if we play fearlessly, we will be fine," Gambhir concluded. India's T20I squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (VC), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar. (ANI)
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