Mumbai, Nov 24: India were on 281 for the loss of three wickets on Day 3 after West Indies posted a mammoth 590 runs in the first innings of the third Test. Opener Gautam Gambhir, who contributed 55 runs to India’s reply, spoke to the media at the end of day’s play.

Excerpts from the press conference:

On maintaining his form

It’s always difficult to maintain the same flow because in international cricket bowlers try to test you out […] I have been hitting the ball well even in the one-dayers against England and even in this series I have not been able to convert those 50s into 100s, which [has been playing on] my mind. But the important thing is I have been getting 50s and been giving good starts which is very important to the team.

On Sachin Tendulkar’s hundredth hundred

I’m not thinking about Sachin’s hundreds but about what the team requires at this moment. The West Indies have set a very good target so the important thing is to [avoid] the follow-on. Sachin getting his hundredth hundred is important but the bigger goal is to think about the team and what we want to achieve from this Test match.

On the task at hand

We’re still 109 runs short of [avoiding] the follow-on. Things change very quickly in India, especially on red soil once the ball starts turning. If we can put up a decent total tomorrow and try and get the West Indies out we still feel there is a chance of winning the Test match rather than just saving it. We’ve got two quality spinners in our line-up and once it starts spinning on the red soil it’s difficult for the opposition to handle the spin and bounce. It’s just a matter of how the wicket behaves tomorrow and on the fifth day […]

On opening the batting

You have to be mentally prepared for it and that is why people say opening the batting in Test cricket is the toughest thing. You have been fielding for two days and suddenly you have to come in and play the new ball which is [coming in] at 150 kmph […] That’s why once you get runs you get so much satisfaction […] Even on the first day the openers are under pressure […] It’s a great challenge and you want to enjoy it as much as you can.

On Virender Sehwag’s batting

We both have very different games to play and it is important how we gel together. It doesn’t matter how an individual plays, the important thing is what kind of start you give the team […] The way he bats, he has always maintained that [form] in all three formats so I don’t need to caution him […] [He] attacks from the word go [and] that’s what makes him such an exciting player at the international level and that’s what makes him a game changer […] You want all kinds of players in your batting line-up and [Virender] Sehwag is an extraordinary player. He sets the momentum and that’s how we want him to play all the time.

On R Ashwin saying the pitch was disappointing

There is nothing to be heartbroken about; a bowler needs to bowl on every kind of wicket. Batsmen never say they are heartbroken when they see a green top […] It’s a great challenge and everyone should accept those challenges and try and get the best out of them […] You don’t get five wickets easily or you don’t get a 100 easily in Test cricket; you need to work hard for it. He has taken two five-wicket hauls in three Test matches so he has a great future ahead.

On the West Indies team

[…] They have some quality players in their line-up and they can upset any opposition. They have got firepower as well; they have got the likes of Fidel Edwards and Ravi Rampaul who bowl at 140 kmph-plus. They have got bowlers and quality batsmen in their line-up so I don’t know [why it is said that] West Indies are an ordinary side. They have played some very good cricket on this tour.

On whether he has to change his batting according to his partner

Not really. We have always believed in the importance of partnerships. Whether I bat with Viru, Rahul [Dravid] or Sachin [Tendulkar], my game never changes. It’s about building partnerships and trying and getting bit totals […] We have always discussed that if we bat first in Indian conditions we need to bat five sessions and if we can do that we’ve got the quality in our bowling department who can really win Test matches for us […]

On Rahul Dravid

He is a genius, a legend of the game and his records speak for him […] The way he has taken pressure for so many years and batting at No. 3, which is the most important position in any international side, [is commendable] […] He has got runs everywhere in the world and he has got a lot of cricket ahead of him and an important tour is coming up and hopefully he can continue the same form […]

On running between the wickets

Viru and I run differently. We have a great understanding and run cheeky singles […] We play attacking cricket. So once Rahul comes it’s difficult because you are in a zone where you want to run each and every single; but it’s fun to bat with him.

On whether certain players would be sent to Australia early

I don’t know what the scenario is and if they’re sent early, it’s always good like we have seen in South Africa. Some of the guys went [there] early and prepared well and we had a great Test series there […] It’s a big tour for us and hopefully we can do well and try and win the series there. We want to play some good, attacking cricket. If the board decides that players can go early, I think it’s a good decision.