Amid Criticism, Gautam Gambhir Launches Passionate Defence of Indian Bowlers: 'We Will Have To Give Them Time'

Shubman Gill had a disappointing start to his Test captaincy career. England handed a five-wicket defeat to England to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series.

Gautam Gambhir Defended Indian Bowlers After Disappointing Display In Leeds

It appeared India would have a chance when England were asked to chase down a mammoth 371 runs in the 4th innings. But Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley had some other plans., They put together a staggering 188-run opening stand to take the game out of India's grasp. The Indian bowlers did manage to put up some restraint with successive wickets, but Joe Root and Jamie Smith ensured they didn't get distracted and scored the remaining runs.

Except for Jasprit Bumrah, no other bowlers managed to impress on English soil. The likes of Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna looked out of rhythm, while Shardul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja too failed to add much with their bowling.

Despite the defeat, head coach Gautam Gambhir backed his bowlers, insisting they need time in order to put things in order. 

As quoted by ESPN Cricinfo, he said at the presser, “We will have to give them time. 

“Earlier, we used to have four fast bowlers in the squad with an experience of more than 40 Tests. 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.”

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Shubman Gill Brushed Aside Jasprit Bumrah Fitness Concern

Bumrah's absence when the second new ball was taken raised another concern. The maverick fast bowler had a rare off day and didn't pick up any wickets in the second innings. Bumrah's proficiency with the new ball is beyond debate. The 31-year-old has easily been India's flagbearer across the format, and his absence after the new ball was taken ignited further doubts. But captain Shubman Gill brushed aside all the rumours, reiterating the fact that he wanted other bowlers to have a shot with the new ball as England only needed a few runs for the win.

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