NEW DELHI: India's head coach Gautam Gambhir dismissed worries on Wednesday regarding the team's ability to compete with the best in the world despite the batsmen' previous struggles against excellent spin bowling.
Talking to the media on the eve of the two-Test series against Bangladesh in Chennai, Gambhir also claimed that India's fixation on batting has been countered by the bowling quartet of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja
"Our batting unit has so much quality that it can take on any spin unit," Gambhir asserted after being asked about the line-up's struggles in last month's white-ball series against Sri Lanka, especially in the ODI leg that India lost.
"There is a lot of difference between ODIs and Tests," he said, as per PTI.
He also showered the team's bowlers with praise, pointing out that they have been winning matches lately.
"India once was a batting-obsessed nation. But Bumrah, Shami, Ashwin and Jadeja have turned it into a bowlers' game," he pointed out.
"Bumrah is the best fast bowler in the world now who can make a difference at any stage of the game," he said.
Rishabh Pant, who is making his Test comeback following his recovery from a near-fatal vehicle accident in 2022, was also praised by the coach.
"Pant has done phenomenally well as a destructive batter but his wicket-keeping in Indian conditions has been understated. His keeping against Ashwin and Jadeja is exceptional," Gambhir said.
Once more, the former opening batsman dismissed worries about his rapport with more experienced players in the dressing room.
"Everyone made a lot of hue and cry about it. But it's not true," he said referring to speculation that his outspoken demeanour would lead to tensions with senior players.
