Chennai, India: Indian cricket fans are traditionally obsessed with batsmen but star pacemen, including yorker king Jasprit Bumrah, were finally bringing overdue recognition to the side’s bowlers, coach Gautam Gambhir said Wednesday.

Gambhir took over from Rahul Dravid in July and will oversee his first Test for India in a two-match series against Bangladesh in Chennai from Thursday.

The 42-year-old former opener praised India’s world-class bowlers for making a difference to the set-up.

“It has not happened many times in India where we have started talking about the bowler now. It has always been about batters, batters, batters. India at one stage was a batting-obsessed nation,” Gambhir told reporters.

“Jasprit Bumrah is the best fast bowler in the world in all three formats,” he said.

“It’s an honor that we have got someone like Jasprit Bumrah sitting in that dressing room who can make a difference at any stage of the game.”

Bumrah’s slinging action has a knack for choking an opposition’s flow of runs and bagging wickets.

The 30-year-old has claimed 159 Test wickets since his debut in 2018.

Spin bowling usually prospers on Indian pitches and the hosts’ chances are likely to hinge on Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

Ashwin has claimed 516 wickets, while Jadeja, a left-hander who is also an attacking batsman, is six short of 300.

“India has been fortunate that we have got people like Ashwin and Jadeja, and they have bowled well in tandem, and we know what they can contribute,” Gambhir said.

“Those two can create a lot of impact in Indian conditions.”

Gambhir, a talented left-handed batsman who played a key role in India’s ODI World Cup win in 2011, coached Kolkata Knight Riders to an Indian Premier League title this year.

The former politician is also known for his short fuse and once had an ugly on-field altercation with Virat Kohli during an IPL match.

But Gambhir said he had good relations with all the senior players, including Kohli and ODI and Test skipper Rohit Sharma.

“My relationship with all the senior players has been really good,” he said.

“Sometimes people have made a lot of hue and cry about other things, but that’s not true.”

India remain clear favorites on home soil, but Bangladesh last month celebrated a landmark 2-0 series sweep in Pakistan — their first series win over the Asian rivals.

“We played very good cricket against Pakistan but that is the past,” Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto said.

“That gives us confidence, but we are here to play a good series.”

Commentators have disparaged Bangladesh in earlier series for lacking emotional restraint, affecting their on-field performance.

But Najmul said that characterization was a thing of the past.

“A lot of players (have been) playing for the last 10-15 years and are experienced,” he said. “We don’t get very emotional now.”
 

Vila Velha de Rodao, Portugal: Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al-Qemzi and Mansoor Al-Mansoori are primed for a tense climax to the UIM F2 World Championship in Portugal this weekend, which could see either of them crowned world champion on Sunday.

Four-time champion and strong favorite Al-Qemzi goes into the final round of the championship at Vila Velha de Rodao holding a six-point lead over Lithuania’s Edgaras Riabko, who is four points ahead of Al-Mansoori in third position.

This means that second place in the Grand Prix of Portugal II would be enough to clinch the title for Al-Qemzi and take him into the record books as the first-ever five-time winner of the F2 crown.

However, a repeat of last weekend’s result, which saw Al-Mansoori win the penultimate round in Peso da Regua, would see him installed as world champion for the first time should Abu Dhabi teammate Al-Qemzi finish fourth for the second race in eight days.

While there is no question of team orders giving priority to either of them, the two Emirati drivers will be taking no unnecessary risks that could jeopardize the arrival of an 18th world title at the Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club since Guido Cappellini became team manager nine years ago.

“We’re teammates and friends, but we both want to win the title, and we both know what we have to do,” said Al-Qemzi, who had already secured his fourth F2 triumph before rounding off last season with victory on the Tagus river in Vila Velha de Rodao.

“The team will make sure both boats are set up perfectly, as they are for every race. Then it’s up to us. It’s also up to us not to do anything that could hurt the team.”

Al-Mansoori’s first target is to aim for a second successive pole position on Saturday. “That can make a huge difference on Sunday, but it will be tough to qualify first, as it was last weekend, and all season,” he said.

“It’s the last race of the season and apart from the top three, all the other drivers will be fighting hard for a good start position. I want to get the best out of myself and my boat. I can’t do more than that.”

Riabko finished third last Sunday in Peso da Regua, where he won the penultimate round last season, and he will be aiming for a third career victory in Portugal in the hope that it will be enough to secure the world title.

While the top three battle it out for F2 glory, Sweden’s Mathilda Wiberg, Britain’s Matthew Palfreyman and Frenchman Nelson Morin are among a cluster of drivers who could still have a big say in the championship decider.

Leading championship positions:

1. Rashed Al-Qemzi UAE 61 pts

2. Edgaras Riabko LTU 55

3. Mansoor Al-Mansoori UAE 51

4. Mathilda Wiberg SWE 44

5. Matthew Palfreyman GBR 44

6. Nelson Morin FRA 27