Gary Kirsten represented South Africa in Test cricket for 11 years, playing 101 matches. After his playing days were over, he moved into coaching and became one of the most successful coaches in the game. Put together, he has spent more than three decades studying, analysing and understanding the sport.So, it’s not unreasonable to assume that he has a deep understanding of the game — not just the cold numbers, which anybody can access in this day and age, but the nuance and awareness that lie beneath them. He knows that data and strategy count for little without the skills to execute them.Also Read: Former South Africa international and India’s World Cup winning coach Gary Kirsten is on a mission“I think cricket is largely about how you use your skills and how you build strategy in real time,” Kirsten, Sri Lanka men’s cricket team’s coach, said during an interaction with select media arranged by Sony Sports Network on Thursday.“The game unfolds very differently, and players need to navigate those different situations that they're confronted with in a match. So, our focus has really been on: what's our plan A, B, and C against every batter, and against every bowler, based on what the situation in the match requires us to deliver.“And in Test cricket, which unfolds over a decent period of time, the game chops and changes, momentum chops and changes, and we need to have our strategies for that.”Kirsten was appointed Sri Lanka’s coach in March and faces the biggest challenge of his new job in the two-Test series against India, starting on Saturday (Aug 15). Short series are tricky in nature. A small mistake can put a team on the back foot with little time to recover.“Games can be won and lost in one session, and in a two-match series, the series can be lost in one session,” said Kirsten.Also Read: Pakistan appoints Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie as cricket coaches“You've got to be concentrated all the way through. You can't relax too much, because it could be series defining. So, we're aware that we need to be doing well at home, and we need to have success in terms of that long-term play of the World Test Championship.“We are aware of that, but our focus is to make sure that we feel, game after game, that we're playing the kind of cricket that we want to play. And as we build that up, it allows us to know that we can play different ways and win games, and I think that's really important.”Sri Lanka have not beaten India in a Test series since 2008. Their last Test win against India was in 2015. But India arrive in the island nation with probably their weakest squad this century, both in terms of experience and winning mentality. That gives Sri Lanka an opportunity to end their long wait for a series win.“We're just trying to focus on our strengths, what we can do well in the Test match, make sure we prepare well, understand what we want to do, let the game unfold, and the conditions will determine the way we set up our strategies, and also the situation in the game,” Kirsten said.“Sport is all about momentum, and if we can get momentum on our side, we back our skills to be able to take advantage of that momentum.”Spin usually plays a big part on subcontinental pitches. And India’s recent struggles against spin further tilt the scales in the home side’s favour.“We would certainly like to bring all the skills into the game, not just spin,” Kirsten said, refusing to put onus solely on the spinners.“If you are executing your skills like you need to, then you are going to be in the game, whether you're a seamer or a spinner.“Yes, the wicket might assist either seam bowling, or spin bowling. But you still need to deliver on your skill, whether you're a batsman or a bowler.”