Mumbai: Indian cricket team coach Gautam Gambhir addresses a press conference ahead of their third Test cricket match against New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (PTI Photo/Kunal Patil)
Ahead of the third Test against New Zealand, India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Thursday said that cricketers, with the advent of T20, are so used to playing fast-paced and hard-hitting cricket, that it might have impaired the art of defence.
“You will see probably going forward in the future, we’ll have the same issues with a lot of other teams as well because the more the T20 cricket is played, the lesser people will start defending,” he said on the eve of the match which will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
“Sometimes you’re so used to muscling the ball that you end up forgetting the soft hands which probably used to happen eight or 10 years back. A complete cricketer is a cricketer who plays T20 format and Test cricket successfully. He can adapt his game.
“Growth is not only about hitting the ball in the stands. It’s also about batting sessions on a turning track where you know that you will not be able to hit in the stands but you’ll be able to rotate better. For that, I think the foundation is very, very important,” he said.
The former India batter also refuted the claims that Indian batters’ skill set against quality spin bowling has deteriorated over the last few years.
“I don’t think so,” Gambhir asserted when asked if Indian batters’ spin negotiating skills have gone down.
“Sometimes you have to give it to the opposition as well. Mitchell Santner was outstanding in the last game. But yes, we’ll keep working hard, we’ll keep getting better. Ultimately it’s the results that matter when you’re playing international cricket but I don’t think that our skill against spin has actually gone down,” Gambhir said.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
First uploaded on: 31-10-2024 at 14:09 IST
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