Gambhir Calls for Patience with India’s Young Pace Attack Amidst Bumrah’s Rest

Gambhir

Headingley, England: Following India’s frustrating Test loss where Jasprit Bumrah was notably rested even during a crucial phase on the final afternoon, head coach Gautam Gambhir has appealed for patience with the team’s inexperienced bowling unit. While acknowledging the need for Bumrah’s workload management, Gambhir expressed confidence in the remaining attack to secure 20 wickets in future matches.

“This bowling attack has one bowler with five Tests under his belt [Nitish Kumar Reddy], one has four [Prasidh Krishna], one has played two [Harshit Rana] and one hasn’t yet debuted [Arshdeep Singh],” Gambhir stated, responding to scrutiny, particularly around Prasidh Krishna’s economy rate. He stressed the importance of time for these young bowlers, contrasting them with past Indian squads that boasted four pacers with over 40 Tests of experience. “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.”

Gambhir firmly believes in the quality of these players, asserting, “Outside Bumrah and [Mohammad] 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 long time in Test cricket.”

Regarding Bumrah’s absence, Gambhir clarified that managing his workload is paramount given the packed schedule. “So before he came on this tour, it was already decided that he’s going to play three Test matches,” he said, though the specific two other Tests he will play are yet to be decided. “We absolutely have the bowling attack. We believe in them. We trust in them… Those are inexperienced bowlers, but they will keep getting better.” He reiterated that despite the loss, India was in a winning position for much of the match, underscoring his trust in the team’s potential.


Defending Individual Performances and Collective Responsibility

Gambhir specifically defended Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur’s performances. He praised Prasidh for bowling “really well” and securing crucial wickets, noting his unique bounce, which he utilized effectively in both innings. “He’ll keep getting better with experience,” Gambhir added, confident in his potential to become a very good bowler. Regarding Shardul Thakur, who played as a bowling all-rounder, Gambhir acknowledged his limited usage but attributed it to Ravindra Jadeja’s excellent control. He highlighted Thakur’s two important wickets that brought India back into the game, refusing to “single out” individual performances. “We just got to be more consistent… These boys will learn.”

Gambhir also addressed the low aggregate of runs from India’s Nos. 8 to 11 (just nine runs in two innings) and their sometimes extravagant shots, but firmly refused to place blame. “Sometimes people fail, and that’s okay… they knew that we had the opportunity. If we had got up to 570, 580 in the first innings, we could have dominated from there.” He emphasized that the loss was not solely due to the tail’s contribution, stating, “We lose together, we win together.”


Backing New Captain Shubman Gill

Addressing Shubman Gill’s first Test as captain, Gambhir offered strong backing despite the challenging loss. “First Test match, obviously, there are nerves… he was phenomenal. More importantly, I think the way he batted in the first innings.” Gambhir believes Gill possesses all the necessary attributes to be a successful captain, but stressed the need for patience and time. “It’s still very early days… These are tough places to captain. So it’s like pushing someone into the deep sea, and I’m sure he’s going to come out as a proper professional.”

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