India, Jan. 15 -- Gautam Gambhir's India might drop a bilateral here, lean ODI series there, even take a punch on a marquee Test tour - and still look like a side being built for trophies. That is the most honest way to read what has happened since he took charge, and what he has repeatedly signalled about how he wants India to play.

In a cricket ecosystem addicted to "series win = progress", Gambhir is pushing a different scoreboard: tournament readiness. Bilaterals, in his world, are the laboratory. The results can be messy. Learning can't be optional.

The evidence is uncomfortable. India's ODI trip to Sri Lanka in 2024 ended in a series defeat. At home, New Zealand and South Africa handed India 3-0 defeats in Test whitewashes. In Aus...