Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir, who has guided India to several wins, has reckoned that India will be low in confidence after the defeat in the opening pink-ball Test match of the series. But he believes that his countrymen can dominate in the remaining three Test matches. For which, he has advised how the visitors can chalk out their innings.
First and foremost, Gambhir, while talking on in the recent episode of the Star Sports show Cricket Connected, opined that India needs to forget the debilitating defeat in Adelaide in which they were dominating until day two before being all out for 36 in the day three within the first session. He stated that they need to look on the positive side they were ahead in two days.
“They will have to forget that because three Test matches are still left. And it is not that you are 3-0 down and you are looking to come back in the fourth Test, which is very difficult,” Gautam Gambhir said.
“It is okay you lost the first Test match and were all out for 36, which is an embarrassment and the players will be feeling about that. But you need to remember that you were ahead for two days in the Test match. You were ahead in the Test match when the third day had started as well.”
Cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir stated that Team India has bowlers who can bundle out Australia, which a lot of teams could not manage to do.
“You took a lead of 50 runs. You have got the bowlers who can get Australia all out. Probably a lot of the teams that went to Australia previously, they did not have the bowlers who could take 20 Australian wickets.”
Indian bowlers can rattle Australia: Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir added that Australia will offer pitches that would have less pace and bounce than Adelaide because they know Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav and Ashwin can get the 20 wickets needed to win the match.
“But you have those type of bowlers, so Australia will also get rattled by that. So, Australia will not give too spicy wickets because they know Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav and Ashwin can take their twenty wickets.”
As Kohli will missing, who is the huge contributor with the bat, Gambhir believes that India can still win the match even if they could put 250 runs on the board instead of 350-400 runs. He feels that if India will aim to get a high total, they will be under pressure.
“If you think about scoring 350-400 runs, then you will always keep yourself under pressure. You think about scoring 200-250 runs and give your bowlers runs on the board. Even if you give 250, you will remain in the game,” Gautam Gambhir said.
India will take on Australia in Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the second Test match, which is scheduled to begin on December 26.