Gautam Gambhir Defends Listless India Bowlers: 'Like Throwing Them In The Sea'

News18

5 hours ago

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Gautam Gambhir backed his bowling unit and has asked to not judge the inexperienced pace attack.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has pointed out the lack of experience in the Indian pace attack barring Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj as the reason behind their modest returns in the five-wicket defeat to England in the first Test at Headingley.
Bumrah was the only saving grace for India among the bowlers as others around him failed to make any significant impact allowing England to comfortably chase a target of 371 in Leeds to take 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series on Tuesday.
'We will have to give them time. Earlier, we used to have four fast bowlers in the squad with an experience of more than 40 Tests. It doesn't make such a big impact in one-day or T20 matches, but when you go to Australia, England, or South Africa for Tests, experience matters. It is like throwing them in the sea," Gambhir told reporters after the match.
'These are early days. If we start judging our bowlers after every Test, how will we develop a bowling attack? Outside Bumrah and Siraj, we don't have that much experience, but they (the others) have quality, which is why they are in this dressing room. But we have got to keep backing them because it's not about one tour. It's about building a fast-bowler battery that can serve India for a long time in Test cricketm" he added.
Allrounder Shardul Thakur bowled 16 overs during the match with just six of them in England's first innings. Gambhir defended the ploy.
'Sometimes captain goes with his instincts and Ravindra Jadeja gave us control in first innings, that was important and we could rotate our three pacers at other end," he said.
'We know what is Shardul's quality and that is why he is playing for India and is in the dressing room. Just because he is the fourth seamer does not necessarily mean that he has to be brought ahead of a spinner. A captain went by his instinct and depending on surface we were playing," he added.
Gambhir said 'every defeat is bad" and it's impact doesn't change based on whether the team is young or experienced.
'Every defeat is bad. Doesn't matter if its young team or experienced team. It's an Indian team. It is not an excuse for defeat as we represent 140 crore Indians," he said.