Ganesh Kendale
NEW DELHI: In the lead-up to Wednesday’s first Test match between India and New Zealand at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, head coach Gautam Gambhir emphasized the value of bowlers and the necessity of breaking the “obsessed” mentality of batters.
In the longest format of cricket, during the last ten years, there has been a gradual transition from batsmen who spend an excessive amount of time to bowlers who are very skilled.
But the recent Test match in Kanpur between India and Bangladesh served as a timely reminder of how red-ball cricket has evolved.
India took a tack rarely seen in a Test match, going all out from the first over, even though they lost more than two days of play due to rain and a soggy outfield.
The spinners completed a historic triumph for India by slicing 20 wickets, shocking Bangladesh.
Ahead of the first Test match against New Zealand, Gambhir noted that the era has changed.
According to Gambhir, victory isn’t assured even if the hitters score a lot of runs. However, if the bowling unit takes 20 wickets, that team’s triumph is all but assured.
“That 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,” Gambhir said at a press conference in Bengaluru on Monday.
“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,” he added.
In most cases, matches between the 1950s and 1990s concluded in a tie, even though batters were able to stay on the crease for longer than a day or two. However, the results that have been generated throughout time point to a shifting pattern in cricket.
Pakistan recorded a score of more than 550 on the scoreboard during the most recent Test in Multan. Nevertheless, England overcame the odds, smashing 823/7, declared their inning, and the bowlers completed the task to secure an innings and 47 runs triumph.
The match between the bat and the ball in Bengaluru will undoubtedly be a sight to witness, as India has a bowling team that combines skill and experience.
