Ahead of the much-awaited first Test between India and New Zealand, Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir made a bold statement about the importance of bowlers in the modern era.
Gambhir made it clear that the traditional obsession with batsmen must be left behind as cricket moves into a new era. With the longest format of the game undergoing a transformation in the last decade, Gambhir has boldly said that it is the era of bowlers and batsmen alone setting the game.
Gautam Gambhir urges end to batsmen’s obsession with cricket
Reflecting on recent Test matches, including India’s dominant victory over Bangladesh in Kanpur, Gautam Gambhir highlighted how red-ball cricket has evolved. Despite weather setbacks that cost more than two days of play in Kanpur, the Indian cricket team did not hesitate to attack from the word go.
The spinners, in a stunning display of skill, demolished Bangladesh by taking 20 wickets, proving once again that it is the bowlers who seal victories, not the batsmen. India had won that match by seven wickets to complete a 2-0 clean sweep over Bangladesh in the two-match Test series at home.
As India prepares to take on New Zealand at the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru in the opening Test of the upcoming three-match Test series, Gautam Gambhir insisted that gone are the days of relying solely on big scores from hitters to win games.
The Indian coach further pointed out that no matter how many runs the team posts, it is the bowling unit that determines the outcome of a Test match. Gambhir calculated that if a team is able to take 20 wickets, then that team’s victory is guaranteed in Test cricket in this era.
This is the era of bowlers: Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir reiterated that bowlers have now become the game-changers in today’s Test matches, and strongly believes that this change must be adopted if the teams want it. Now that bowlers are leading the charge, he hopes people will give up their long-standing obsession with batsmen.
Gautam Gambhir said at a press conference in Bengaluru: “That era is gone. This is the era of bowlers. Hitters only prepare games. This hitter-obsessed attitude of ours must end. Even if a batsman scores 1,000 runs, it does not guarantee victory. But if a bowler takes 20 wickets, then there is a 99 per cent guarantee that we will win the Test match.”
He signed off by saying, “So, whether it is a Test match or any other format, bowlers win you matches and tournaments. In this era, we will talk more about bowlers than batsmen, and I hope this mentality changes.” Notably, the first IND vs NZ Test will begin on October 16 in Bengaluru.
India team announced for New Zealand Tests
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already announced the Indian National Cricket Team’s squad for the three-match Test series against the New Zealand National Cricket Team.
The team is quite similar to the one that played the two-match Test series against the Bangladesh national cricket team and there has only been one change with the removal of Yash Dayal.
