'There are no unplayable deliveries' - Gambhir's strong reaction to India's batting collapse

At Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on November 13, New Zealand inflicted a 244-run defeat on India in the fourth ODI of their five-match series. Chasing New Zealand's total of 334, India collapsed to 89 all out in 27 overs, marking the team's second-biggest loss by runs in ODI cricket. The margin of defeat reduced India's series lead to 2-1 as the hosts delivered a dominant performance with the ball, led by Matt Henry's six-wicket haul.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed the team's batting performance after the match, acknowledging the challenging conditions at the venue but rejecting the notion that the opposition's bowling was uncontrollable. Gambhir focused on India's inability to adapt to New Zealand's bowling strategy and the technical issues that plagued the batting unit throughout the innings.

"There are no unplayable deliveries in international cricket. Matt Henry bowled in good areas, but we should be able to negate that. You are always concerned when you get bundled out for 90 or odd. These are conditions close to the World Cup. Even in the previous game we lost seven wickets; it’s a concern." Gambhir said in a post-match press conference.

What did Gambhir say about the batting collapse?

Gambhir elaborated on the technical aspects of the collapse, pointing to India's approach at the crease as the primary issue. He stressed that batters must take responsibility for negating movement through proper technique and field awareness rather than blaming external conditions.

"I don’t go into technicality. There wasn’t a lot of deviation; it's the job of the batter to negate movement. More than a seam, areas and length created problems for us. We got stuck into the crease," Gambhir said.

NZ set record with 244-run ODI win over India at Bay Oval

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NZ set record with 244-run ODI win over India at Bay Oval

How did Gambhir assess the bowling performance?

India's bowling unit delivered a strong performance despite the batting failure. The Indian bowlers restricted New Zealand to 233 runs in their first innings, with Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar and Axar Patel each claiming two wickets. Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav contributed one wicket each at the venue.

Gambhir expressed pride in the bowling effort, acknowledging the commitment shown by the players despite the overall result. He recognised the quality of the bowling display as a positive takeaway from the match.

"Mujhe har us khiladi pe garv hai jo desh ke liye khelta hai. All of us should be proud of our bowling unit." Gambhir concluded.