India head coach Gautam Gambhir believes bowlers play the most crucial role in winning overseas ODI and Test series. He has urged Indian cricket fans to give the bowling unit adequate credit if the team performs well in the upcoming assignments against New Zealand, rather than focusing excessively on the batters.

Gambhir shared his views on Sunday, November 1, following India’s 3-2 victory in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. The Men in Blue won the first three matches before suffering defeats in the final two encounters.

India will now shift their attention to the five-match ODI series, which begins on November 4. However, Gambhir acknowledged that the team faces a significant challenge because of its relatively inexperienced bowling attack. Only Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav from the current bowling group were part of India’s 2023 ODI World Cup squad.

ALSO READ: CSK Likely To Release Costly Young All-Rounder Ahead Of IPL 2027 Mini Auction

With Jasprit Bumrah rested and Prasidh Krishna unavailable due to injury, the bowling department lacks experience compared to the batting lineup. “And it is challenging because if you look at it, this is probably ODI cricket’s most inexperienced bowling attack. In batting, we have plenty of experience, but when you come overseas, it is your bowlers who win you series, especially in One-Day and Test cricket,” Gautam Gambhir said.

He further emphasised that the bowlers deserve significant recognition if India manages to produce positive results in the upcoming overseas assignments. India will field slightly different squads during the ODI series, with Shubman Gill and several other players expected to leave after the first three matches to prepare for the upcoming Test assignments.

Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir also came out in strong support of T20I captain Shreyas Iyer. The Indian skipper received praise after winning the first three matches but faced criticism following consecutive defeats in the final two games.

ALSO READ: Shreyas Iyer Admits Team India Needs To Improve Its Bowling and Fielding

Gautam  Gambhir, however, felt Iyer handled the challenges exceptionally well, particularly considering the limited experience within his bowling attack. “I thought that Shreyas has done a fabulous job with so much of inexperience in their bowling lineup because, as a captain, you’re only as good as how your bowlers or your batters perform, and especially with an inexperienced attack, I think he’s done a phenomenal job,” he added.