I won't appreciate Test matches finishing in 2.5 days: Gautam Gambhir
text_fields
New Delhi: Former India opener Gautam Gambhir said that a match that finishes in two and a half days is not the best advertisement for Test cricket. His statement comes after the first three Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy concluded within three days each.
None of India vs Australia matches in the current Border-Gavaskar Trophy have reached their full length of 5 days. There have been concerns over this.
"I feel, yes, playing on turning tracks is fine, but I won't appreciate Test matches finishing in 2.5 days. We want to see tight finishes, like the one we saw in New Zealand vs England Test. (If a Test goes to) the 4th or 5th day, it is fine. But 2.5 days is too short," he told Sports Today.
The debate around the nature of the pitches prepared for the first three Tests is still going on.
Questions about Indian batters' ability to play spin bowling in Test cricket are also being raised. Gambhir disagrees with this and thinks Indian batters are perfectly equipped to play spin, and if not, they would not have played 100 Test matches.
"I don't think so. People like (Cheteshwar) Pujara, (Virat) Kohli, and Rohit Sharma are good players in spin bowling. If they weren't, they wouldn't have played in 100 Tests. You have to be a very good player of spin and fast bowling to reach that mark. One thing that has changed is that the DRS has played a massive role," he said.
