TimesofIndia.com in Galle: India head coach Gautam Gambhir was beaming with a smile as he descended the staircase from the Mahinda Rajapaksa Pavilion after India’s emphatic 165-run win over Sri Lanka in Galle. With the shining Kookaburra in hand, Gambhir walked over to the opposition’s side to exchange customary handshakes with the players and support staff led by former India coach Gary Kirsten. This wasn’t the first encounter between the two in the last week, and it certainly won’t be the last as the caravan moves soon to Colombo for the second Test.Both Gambhir and Kirsten are fighting their own challenges regarding Test cricket as head coaches. The hot seat feels hotter when the results don’t go your way, and Gambhir has been feeling the heat since the whitewashes against New Zealand and South Africa at home and the away defeat against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). India didn’t qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final last edition and will need a special effort to turn it around in the ongoing cycle. Consequently, questions about Gambhir’s methods in the format have only grown louder.The head coach has had to oversee tricky transitions, tackle workload issues and navigate injury concerns to assemble a multi-day squad that can serve the country for at least the next five years. While the results have hardly gone their way, the win in Galle not only ticked the crucial boxes but also firmed up the make-up of India’s Test squad.
Galle: India’s Manav Suthar, 30, with teammates celebrates after taking a wicket of Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Kumara on day five of the first Test cricket match between India and Sri Lanka, in Galle, Sri Lanka. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)(PTI08_19_2026_000208B)
They finally have a No. 3 who has the potential to provide the volume expected from that position. In Manav Suthar, there is an all-weather finger spinner for life after Ravindra Jadeja and beyond, while the pace battery is breathing fire with a much-improved Prasidh Krishna. The sample size isn’t big enough to put your feet up and relax, but the signs are encouraging enough to be quietly confident about what lies ahead. And not to forget that the squad still misses plenty of first-choice selections due to injury concerns.Jasprit Bumrah was missing, but his absence wasn’t felt. India didn’t have the all-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar, but their absence was not a concern. The regular No. 3, Sai Sudharsan, didn’t recover in time to take the field, but a red-hot Padikkal was waiting in the wings and he caught the opportunity with both hands. So was Dhruv Jurel, who finally converted his ‘A’ consistency into a meaningful contribution with the bat. Prasidh Krishna is emerging as the biggest positive for the Shubman Gill-led unit and is showing why he continues to enjoy the captain’s vote ahead of the exciting Gurnoor Brar.
Great start to the tour, we ticked most of the boxes and did most things right. This victory will give a sense of happiness, and confidence before home series next year
KL Rahul
When vice-captain KL Rahul was asked about the win in the opener, he praised the group effusively and highlighted how ticking most boxes will give confidence going into the next Test, starting August 23 at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) ground in Colombo.“Very happy, every Test win is special. Great start to the tour, we ticked most of the boxes and did most things right. This victory will give a sense of happiness, and confidence before home series next year,” Rahul told reporters in the post-match presser.Away from the strategies and intense discussions, one meet-up attracted a lot of attention. Every time Gambhir and Kirsten ran into each other, the shutterbugs were out with their cameras, capturing the frame featuring the individuals who played a key role in India’s 2011 World Cup triumph. The roles had changed, but cricket, specifically coaching, dominated the conversation.
Gautam Gambhir (center) having a conversation with Sri Lanka coach Gary Kirsten and Team India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel. (Special Arrangement)
The former India coach revealed how they both value Test cricket and how their efforts are directed at seeing their respective teams play the format in a certain way. The meet-ups didn’t reminisce about the days gone by but focused on what lies ahead.“We didn’t do much reminiscing. We actually spoke about coaching and the challenges of coaching. We both have very strong values around Test cricket, so we had good conversation around that, obviously trying to help our players play the best Test cricket that they can, both countries. So we spoke about that, and I think we have very similar ideas to how we want our teams to play Test cricket. So, yeah, we had good conversation around that,” said Kirsten at the post-match presser.Kirsten highlighted the positives for his team even after the defeat. His take on Test cricket, the squad and how to approach the format seemed pretty appropriate for the situation India found themselves in not long ago. There has been a lot of chatter around transitions, multiple retirements, combinations and captaincy changes, but all that is now a thing of the past and the team can finally focus on taking the required strides towards a WTC final berth. In the veteran coach’s words, Test cricket is all about building some shape into the team and then “turn it into a performance”.
India’s captain Shubman Gill and others walk towards the pavilion at the end of the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between Sri Lanka and India in Galle, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
India have been taking shape since the BGT in 2024-25, found some performances in England, but the rude shock against South Africa at home derailed the train that was showing signs of heading in the right direction. When wins are hard to come by, the questions don’t stop. They just keep getting louder.Both Gambhir and Kirsten are not sailing in the same boat regarding their respective coaching careers. However, taking a leaf from the South African’s book on approaching Test cricket will definitely hold his Indian counterpart in good shape as he navigates the biggest challenge of his coaching career.