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What is going through Gautam Gambhir's mind before India's two-Test series against Sri Lanka? The Indian head coach's reputation as a red-ball coach and India's hopes to reach the pinnacle of the World Test Championship (WTC) are both on the line.

With Shubman Gill at number one, India are currently fifth in the WTC, with four wins and four losses in nine matches giving them 48.15 points. The first Test against Sri Lanka will be played at Galle International Cricket Stadium on August 15, followed by the second Test as part of the 2025-27 WTC.

According to former India spinner Murali Kartik, Gambhir's primary concern in this series will be the availability of his best players, particularly after India's disastrous campaign in red-ball cricket.

India's Spin Department Faces a Major Test, Gautam Gambhir's Concern

“You want your players fit and in the best possible condition. That is a huge challenge. You want your players to be fit and in form; that, at the moment, is Gautam Gambhir's challenge,” Kartik said in the interaction with NDTV, conducted through Sony Sports.

He stated that a missing Jasprit Bumrah would prove more difficult for India as the team would have to depend upon a relatively inexperienced attack, except for Jadeja.

In addition, he feels that the series against Sri Lanka will be crucial in deciding the future of India's spin bowling.

Jadeja, along with Kuldeep Yadav and young Manav Suthar will be the spin bowling options for the time being.

“You need to make sure that the future of the Indian spin attack is safe,” Kartik further stated. He was effusive about the exploits of Suthar against Afghanistan, who bowled magnificently to claim seven wickets on his debut in June and looks set to play a significant role for India in the future.

“Spin is very important for us. From my perspective, it is absolutely important because if someone like Jadeja, who has been so good for Indian cricket, is in the twilight of his career, we need to make sure that someone takes up the baton,” Kartik said. He felt that the performance of Suthar against Afghanistan had been a 'very heartwarming' one from the Indian spinners' perspective.

While Kartik has stated that Kuldeep Yadav, too, is an important asset for India, he also feels that the left-arm wrist spinner's omission from the Test squad for the five-match series in England, despite his appeals, has been unforgivable.

“Kuldeep is a match-winner for India. But he needs to get a regular slot in the team now because he has not been given enough chances in Tests so far,” he said. In his opinion, the Sri Lanka series might just help answer the question of whether or not Kuldeep will turn out to be the real successor to Jadeja.

“Right now, with Jadeja in the twilight of his career, is he the leader or someone else?” Karthik remarked.

India's Test Transition Adds to Gautam Gambhir's Challenge

India is undergoing a transition in Test matches. The batting line-up has lost experience and runs with the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, besides the injuries to Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane.

Kartik expressed that the challenge is massive as India not only has to compensate for a large amount of runs but also get ready for the transition period when Ashwin and Jadeja will no longer be in the playing XI.

“We are not just replacing a phenomenal amount of runs, but also we need to transition away from the Ashwin-Jadeja tandem,” said Kartik. “That's huge. Those are very, very big shoes to fill.

The series against Sri Lanka can give us direction as to what we want to do moving forward.”

For India, the Tests against Sri Lanka will be about much more than just two games. The outcomes of Kuldeep, Suthar, and the rest of the bowling attack will play a role in determining India's future path, while the results will be vital in the race for the World Test Championship.

Kartik stated that the series was of utmost importance to him, not only from the point of view of the spinners but also the WTC, as India finds itself at No. 5 in the rankings.

“If we want to be serious about Test cricket, it's a huge deal for us,” he added. “We haven't been able to do well in red-ball cricket in the last while.”

With the first Test starting in Galle on August 15, Gambhir and Gill will have to rise to the occasion as India looks to get the results to set their WTC campaign on a winning note. While they need to get the results, they also have to start thinking about transitioning into the future and developing a Test match team that is capable of winning more than the veterans.