Following India's five-wicket loss to England in the first Test at Headingley, Gautam Gambhir has defended the team's raw pace attack. While the Indian head coach admitted the glaring weaknesses in the bowling attack beyond Jasprit Bumrah, he made a firm case against judging each game since it might hinder the development of young players. England easily cruised to victory on Day 5, despite India's first innings score of 471, as they were unable to defend a 371-run target.

"This pace attack consists of one bowler who has played four Tests (Prasidh Krishna), one who has played two Tests (Harshit Rana), and one who has not played a Test (Arshdeep Singh)," Gambhir stated following the loss.

“These are difficult places on tours of England and Australia, but it doesn't matter in ODIs. It's like throwing them in the ocean. How can we nurture bowlers if we begin to evaluate them after every Test?"

Despite Bumrah's five wickets in the first innings, the remainder of the bowling lineup struggled with consistency and penetration throughout both innings. Prasidh's performance in the game, which included five wickets despite giving up 128 runs in the first innings, was what Gambhir chose to emphasize.

"If we exclude Bumrah and Siraj, there is not much experience in the lineup, but we must support them since they have got talent," he stated. "Prasidh got five wickets, and he has all the makings of becoming a very good Test match bowler."

Regarding Shardul's application

In contrast, Shardul Thakur's contribution was questioned since he only bowled 16 overs in the whole game, six of which were in the first innings. However, the strategic decision was supported by Gambhir.

“At times, the captain follows his instincts, and Ravindra Jadeja gave us control in the first innings, which was crucial, and we were able to rotate our three pacers at the other end,” he said.

"We know what Shardul's caliber is, and that's why he's in the dressing room and playing for India. The fact that he is the fourth seamer does not automatically mean that he has to be put ahead of a spinner.

The second Test of the series will begin at Edgbaston in Birmingham on July 2, marking Team India's return to play.

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