Ahead of the first Test match between India and New Zealand at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, head coach Gautam Gambhir stressed the value of bowlers and the necessity of ending the "obsessed" mindset of the batter.
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 strategy that is 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. Gambhir noted that the era has changed prior to the first Test match against the New Zealanders.
Gambhir Emphasizes Bowling Dominance: Runs Alone Don't Ensure Victory
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.
"Those days are gone. The bowling era is upon us. Batters are just matchmakers. It is time for us to get over our obsession with batsmen. Even 1,000 runs scored by a hitter does not ensure victory. However, there is a 99 percent chance that we would win the Test match if a bowler takes 20 wickets," Gambhir stated at a news conference 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.
India's squad for the three Tests against New Zealand: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.
Travelling reserves: Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav and Prasidh Krishna.
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