Mullanpur, June 5 -- India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Friday struck a balance between long-term team building and immediate competitive goals, strongly backing young batsman Sai Sudharsan with a longer Test run while expressing firm confidence that India remain on course for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Speaking to reporters on the eve of one-off Test against Afghaustan, Gambhir said Sudharsan has not yet received a "fair chance" in Test cricket and warned against judging players on the basis of a few matches, especially given his early exposure in challenging overseas conditions like England.
He said the left-hander deserves continuity and sustained backing to settle into the red-ball format. He also emphasised that India's...