‘Australia won’t give spicy wickets as they know Bumrah, Umesh, Ashwin can take 20 wickets’: Gautam Gambhir ahead of Boxing Day Test – cricket

Former batsman Gautam Gambhir has urged India to look into the positives from the Adelaide Test and take its confidence heading into Melbourne for the second match of the series. With India getting all out for 36, one would assume that it’s virtually tough for them to make a comeback into the series, but Gambhir disagreed with the notion, reminding India that they were ahead after nearly six sessions of play before their entire hard work was flushed out following 45 minutes of poor batting.

“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,” Gambhir said on the Cricket Connected Show on Star Sports.

“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.”

After posting 244 in the first innings, the Indian bowlers responded well to bowl Australia out for 191. R Ashwin’s 4/55, coupled by India pacers Umesh Yadav’s and Jasprit Bumrah’s figures of 3/40 and 2/50 ensured that India were handed a handy first-innings lead of 53 runs. India’s bowlers have been their strength and Gambhir wants India to take the confidence of the same in a bid to level the series 1-1 at the MCG.

“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,” Gambhir explained.

“But you have those types 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.”

Gambhir, however, cautioned India’s batsmen against targeting big totals against Australia, and instead, is interested to see them post competitive totals, which he feels their bowlers can defend. “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,” Gambhir added.