Aside from Jasprit Bumrah, who took five wickets in the first innings, the remainder of India’s attack found it challenging to create opportunities. England easily chased down the 371-run target, highlighting the deficiencies in India’s weakened bowling unit.
Gambhir, known for his candid approach, urged critics to refrain from immediate judgments after each match. “Constant scrutiny only hampers the development of a young bowler,” he stated, underscoring the need for a long-term vision.
“This pace attack includes one bowler with four Test matches (Prasidh Krishna), another with two Tests (Harshit Rana), and one who is yet to debut (Arshdeep Singh),” Gambhir mentioned during the post-match press conference on Tuesday.
“In ODIs, it may not matter, but in England and Australia, these are challenging environments. It’s akin to tossing them into the deep end. If we keep judging bowlers after every Test, how can we cultivate their skills?” He added, “Excluding Bumrah and Siraj, there’s limited experience in the lineup, but we must support them as they possess talent,” defending the bowling unit.
He commended Prasidh Krishna for taking five wickets in the match despite being costly, asserting that the pacer has “all the qualities to evolve into an excellent Test bowler.”
“Sometimes captains act on their instincts, and Ravindra Jadeja provided us with control in the first innings, which was crucial, allowing us to rotate our three pacers at the other end,” he remarked.
Gambhir also backed Shardul Thakur, who bowled just 16 overs throughout the match, including merely six in the first innings, emphasizing that match scenarios often dictate roles that may not reflect a bowler’s true potential.
“We are aware of Shardul’s quality, which is why he represents India and is in the squad. Just because he is the fourth seamer does not mean he should automatically come on ahead of a spinner. A captain made decisions based on his instincts and the nature of the pitch we were playing on.” Gambhir also praised Gill for his outstanding batting in the first innings and believes he should be given time to grow into a leadership position.
For Gambhir, every loss is detrimental, irrespective of whether the team is “experienced” or comprised of young players. “Every defeat is disappointing. It doesn’t matter if it’s a young or experienced team. It’s an Indian team, and that’s no excuse for losing, as we represent 140 crore Indians.”
(With PTI inputs)
First Published: Jun 25, 2025 2:56 PM IST
