If your team's foundation is based on T20s, it will struggle in Tests: Gill

New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) A cricketing set-up founded on Test excellence will produce strong ODI and T20 sides, not vice versa, asserted Indian captain Shubman Gill but side-stepped the debate on whether a two-tier system is needed in Tests given the struggles of teams like the West Indies.

Caribbean cricket has undergone a change for the worse in the last two decades and advent of T20 leagues has meant that its best talent has chosen the freelance route for financial stability, leading to a marked and quick decline in the quality of red-ball players.

Having demolished West Indies by an innings and 140 runs in the first Test in Ahmedabad, Gill was asked if he felt that now is the time for a two-tier system. The Indian skipper, without naming West Indies, spoke about the importance of a strong foundation instead.

"I think it's the ICC's decision whether there should be a two-tier system or not. But I feel as a cricketing nation, whoever plays cricket, if your red-ball base is very strong, then you automatically do well in ODIs and T20s," Gill said on the eve of the second Test here.

"If you look at any of the teams, England, Australia, if the Test teams are very good, it's a natural thing that your one-day and T20 teams will do well.

"I don't know, maybe their (West Indies) players' focus is more on T20 and leagues. So if your focus is on that, then the base from where the game has started, when you forget that, then the struggle of any country starts from there," he explained.

Gill feels this is where the Indian cricket system has stood out with its robust structures and clear priorities.

"So we are also conscious. If you are doing well in the Test format, then it is a natural thing that in ODI and T20s, you will automatically have a good team. If you have a good base, you will have good options." Asked if the quality of opposition affects his players' intensity, the skipper replied that his side is way too focussed on its own tasks.

"I don't think your intensity drops depending on the opposition. It doesn't matter who we are playing. We want to be able to play at our own intensity and we want to win.

"When you are playing for India, you don't need external motivation to up your intensity. It doesn't matter who we are playing. We want to maintain our own standards." Backing Sai Sudharsan =============== Coming back to the Test match starting tomorrow, Gill was very vocal in his support for the young Sai Sudharsan, who according to him is "still trying to figure out" his own game. His position was similar to the one taken by assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate on Wednesday.

"You have to give young players more opportunities. They are still trying to figure out their game. And we believe that you have to see someone's potential first and then see their game in the entirety not just judge someone from one, two, three, four matches," he said.

"Once you have given someone enough matches, six, seven, eight matches, then you can sit back and think over where he needs to learn or if he needs to play some more domestic matches or play some more India A games.

"But as of now, we think he's the man for us and he's someone that can play for India at No. 3 for a very long time," Sudharsan had his skipper's emphatic vote of confidence.

Will Reddy get a chance to bat up? ====================== All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy didn't get a chance to bat in the top seven during the opening Test.

With Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja getting hundreds at No.5 and No.6 and Washington Sundar being slotted at No.7, the Andhra man would hope to get a promotion in the second game.

"We saw how he (Reddy) batted in Australia, so there is definitely a lot of ability and a lot of potential. We want to give him as much game time especially in India and want to develop him.

"And according to the match and according to the situation where we feel he can bat up or down the order, we will keep that in mind." No place for Prasidh right now ==================== Gill also made it clear that as of now, they are not thinking about a specialist third pacer in the line-up and Prasidh Krishna might have to wait for his turn.

"If there would be an opportunity for him (Prasidh), definitely we would be looking to play him. As of now, we want to play our strongest eleven. With the World Test Championship, we would need to win 70 per cent of the matches to be able to secure a spot in the final.

"So, depending on where we are on the table, this is still early stages. So, we want to play the best possible eleven that's available for us in this moment." PTI KHS PM KHS PM PM