India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has not confirmed whether the team will maintain its winning lineup from the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle as they prepare for the second Test. Amidst discussions of team selection, Gambhir expressed his confidence in left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who faced criticism after conceding over 100 runs in 25 overs and taking just one wicket during the first match.
Gambhir emphasized the importance of results over individual performance, stating, “Ultimately, we know how good a bowler Kuldeep is. And more importantly, sometimes, it’s up to the captain as well (team selection). It’s not about under-bowling. It’s about getting the result. For me, I think that is more important.”
“If it’s a very flat wicket, the bowlers will have to work hard, maybe put in a lot of extra effort because, as I said, you’ll have to take 20 wickets. “But if you don’t have five proper bowlers, then you won’t be able to rotate your senior bowlers as effectively, and they will have to come back early.
Gambhir said having five bowlers will help the skipper rotate the attack more effectively during a match. “When you play five proper bowlers, someone will eventually get under-bowled. But it’s not about someone not delivering and getting under-bowled. It’s the captain’s or the management’s decision as to who will be most effective in those particular conditions. If it’s a flat wicket, ultimately, we have only one solution. We have five proper bowlers. “So, when you have five proper bowlers, you can rotate your bowlers better. We saw this in the last Test match as well. Even if Kuldeep didn’t bowl a lot, we had five proper bowlers who can get you a wicket at any stage. You want them to come in and create an impact. So, I always say that the team that has five proper bowlers, which is not a luxury, always has a better chance of winning a Test match,” he added
