Shardul Thakur reveals how Gautam Gambhir instilled confidence in the young Indian team on the England tour

Team India all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who was part of the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England, has heaped praise on the Indian head Gautam Gambhir for his fighting spirit throughout the tour.

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Notably, India managed to level the five-match Test series 2-2, courtesy of a narrow six-run win at the Oval on the fifth and final day of the Test. Speaking to RevSports in an exclusive interview, Thakur stated that Gambhir always transferred his energy to all of his players.

"We have always seen him as a player who is willing to fight for the team, and even during the huddles, he transferred that energy into us, the same energy that he brought into the field during his playing days," Shardul told Revsportz.

"He is an achiever who has won trophies for the nation and the state. And he brings all those experiences and motivations into the team. Criticism will come and go, but as a team, winning matters, and I believe we are heading in the right direction when it comes to that," he added.

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India entered the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy on the back of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s retirements. Moreover, India also missed the key pacer Mohammed Shami, who wasn’t completely fit for the five-match tour.

"When your backs are against the wall, there is no going back, and that was the situation. This team had no other option than to rise and put up a fight, because at the end of the day, you are representing India," he observed.

Additionally, Thakur also revealed how Gambhir used to instill confidence in all of the Indian players in the team huddles. Moreover, he also talked about India’s six-run win in the Oval Test on the final day of the tour.

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“Even our team huddles had Gauti (Gautam Gambhir) Bhai saying: ‘You are lucky to be representing your country.’ Maybe young, but we are here because of our talent and as our coach said: ‘If you have the belief, then there is no opponent you cannot beat. If it’s your day, you can take any side down, based on how badly you want it.’”

On the fifth and final day of the Oval Test, England needed only 35 runs to win the Test and they had four more wickets in hand with Jamie Overton and Jamie Smith occupying the crease. However, Mohammed Siraj’s magic turned the game upside down.

"What happened on day four was that the old ball still had its shine, and it was swinging, so it helped us to get those two crucial wickets of Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell. It was Joe Root's wicket next, and then it was time for the next day," Shardul recalled.

"The full team was on the same page that we are going to win this one. Our huddle was also plain and simple -- Gauti Bhai asked us to keep the belief that we can do it," he said.

"(Mohammed) Siraj and Prasidh (Krishna) were in their spells, so it was also important for them to have a good start, which they did. Loads of credit go to Siraj and Prasidh for getting those important wickets and the way they pushed their bodies, especially Siraj after playing all five Tests. It was all about building the pressure, and one of the teams had to falter under that pressure. I feel India came out with flying colours," he concluded.

Team India’s next assignment is the Asia Cup 2025 campaign, scheduled to take place from September 9 in the United Arab Emirates.

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