Courtesy: BCCI
On Sunday, October 14, Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of the Indian cricket team, spoke to the media about the comparison between the batters and the bowlers ahead of the first Test match against New Zealand in Bengaluru, which will begin in two day’s time. The 43-year-old remarked that the current era of Test cricket belongs to the bowlers, while wanting the obsession of the Indian fans towards the batters to end.
Notably, Gautam Gambhir is widely regarded as someone who gives blunt remarks on various topics regarding cricket, which brings him as much criticism as the plaudits from different sections of the cricket fans. In his latest comment to the media, the former Indian cricketer pointed out that even if the batters score big runs individually and collectively, they can’t guarantee a win for their team in a Test match unlike the bowlers, who can settle the game on most occasions by picking up all the wickets.
This batsman-obsessed attitude of ours needs to end: Gautam Gambhir
In response to one of the questions in the press conference ahead of the India versus New Zealand first Test, Gautam Gambhir alluded to how the era of the batters in the longest format of the game is in the past. He was quoted as saying, as per Hindustan Times, “That (batters) era is past. This is the era of bowlers. Batters only set up matches. This batsman-obsessed attitude of ours needs to end. If a batter even scores 1,000 runs, it doesn't guarantee victory. But if a bowler takes 20 wickets, then there is a 99 per cent guarantee that we will win the Test match.”
“So if it is a Test match or any other format, bowlers win you matches and tournaments. In this era, we will talk more about bowlers compared to batters, and I hope this mindset changes,” Gautam Gambhir further said. In the same press conference, the Indian head coach also spoke about how he wants the team to become a batting unit which scores 400 runs in a day as well as bat for two days if necessary in Test cricket.
Moreover, India needs to win three Test matches in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle, to reach the final of the tournament next year. They could get a step closer by beating New Zealand in the first Test of the three-match series at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru this week.
