India cricket team coach Gautam Gambhir recently made a big disclaimer on how the game of cricket has evolved wherein bowlers have dominated and stolen the spotlight in Test cricket, a format in which batters have traditionally dominated by spending long hours at the crease.
Gambhir made this revelation during the pre-match conference ahead of the first India vs New Zealand Test, slated to start on October 16.
Gambhir said while addressing the media, “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% guarantee that we will win the Test match”.
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Gautam Gambhir cites recent examples to back his point
The former Indian opener further highlighted that the recent Test between India and Bangladesh in Kanpur was a reminder of how red-ball cricket has evolved. The Men in Blue put up an emphatic display despite losing over two days to poor weather and a wet outfield. The Indian bowlers especially were the game-changers as they managed to aggressively attack Bangladesh, taking 20 wickets in a very short time to secure a memorable win.
Gautam Gambhir noted that historically, particularly from the 1950s to the 1990s, many matches ended in draws, even when batters batted for extended periods. In contrast, the current game often sees results influenced more by the bowlers’ performances.
He pointed to the recent Test match in Multan, where Pakistan scored above 500 runs but England countered with an impressive 823/7, ultimately depending on their bowlers to secure victory by an innings and 47 runs.
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