"You've got to just face the fear"- Gautam Gambhir urges India to play with a positive mindset
Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir has advised the Indian team to adopt a fearless brand of cricket for the rest of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
The former Indian opener believes the visitors need to accept their humiliating defeat at Adelaide instead of trying to forget it, and instead remember how they dominated the first two days of the Test match.
In an exclusive interview with the YouTube channel Sports Today, Gautam Gambhir explained how the tourists can still have faith in themselves and try to stage a comeback in the Test series.
"First of all we have to accept that there will be scars. The more you start hiding behind it, it will be tougher. You've got to just face the fear, there will be fear tomorrow when you go on to the cricket field but this is where character comes into play as well. You have a great opportunity to show the world that yes it can happen to the best, it has happened to the best."
Team India have the bowling attack to bowl out Australia two times in a Test match: Gautam Gambhir
With a whole lot of negatives to choose from, Gautam Gambhir instead opted to focus on the positives of India's defeat at the Adelaide Oval. He pointed out how the Indian bowlers knocked out Australia cheaply in their first innings and took a healthy 53-run lead.
Gautam Gambhir believes the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, as well as the newcomer Mohammed Siraj form a very potent bowling attack.
The 39-year-old feels if the batsmen can step up and post enough runs on the board, India have the bowling attack to torment the Aussies.
"One thing we need to realise is that India have the bowling attack to bowl out Australia two times in a Test match, which was never the case with previous teams. There were very good captains earlier also but unfortunately we did not have that kind of a bowling attack which can take 20 wickets and that's why we struggled overseas," Gautam Gambhir said.
"But when you have people like Jasprit Bumrah, Ashwin, Umesh Yadav is back, he bowled reasonably well in first Test and youngster -- Navdeep or Siraj will come in. At least one department of your is very secure," he further added.
The second Test between India and Australia will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 26. The visitors have made four changes to their side, with Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj set to make their Test debut.
This new-look Indian team under the leadership of stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane will need to punch above their weight if they have to upset the rhythm of a rampant Australian side.