Quality spinner don't need assistance from surface: Gambhir

Not in a mood to blame the surface for his spinners inability to make a mark in the ongoing Indian Premier League, Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir today said a quality tweaker doesn't need any assistance to perform.
Gambhir insisted that KKR has quality in its spin attack.
"I have always believed that a quality spinner does not need a surface. A quality spinner will do well irrespective of what the surface is. If you have quality in your ranks, surfaces are out of question," Gambhir said.
"We have that quality in our line-up and our spinners have actually bowled only four overs in most of the games," he told a news conference on the eve of their match against Rising Pune Supergiants here.

KKR's most successful spinner, Sunil Narine has taken six wickets from six matches after missing four matches this season. The West Indian has not been able to produce the same impact that had given him 74 wickets from four seasons.
"Because you play three spinners all the time, sometimes spinners do get under-bowled at times. We have been a very spin dominating attack and we have got quality. That is why we control or dominate the opposition with that quality," Gambhir said.

Rising Pune Supergiants are out of the top four race after losing to to Sunrisers Hyderabad in their previous match but Gambhir feels the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side would play for pride in the remainder of the tournament.

"This is a format where you expect people to come and play freely. Whether they have got anything to lose or not doesn't make a difference. We need to go out there and play good cricket and that is all that matters. We need to do well in all the three departments. When you turn out for any game as a professional cricketer you don't think on those lines that you have got nothing to lose. The biggest thing that you have to lose is your pride," the KKR skipper said.
There may be debate brewing over Dhoni underbowling R Ashwin but Gambhir said he bowled his spinners full on most occasions.

"There have been spinners who have done reasonably well in this tournament. Piyush Chawla has bowled really well for us. Sunil Narine coming back has done well for us, Shakib (Al Hasan) too has done well. It also depends on the captains on how they use the spinners. Sometimes if you don't have that much of confidence in your spinners you might not even end up bowling their four overs," he said.
"Amit Mishra (Delhi Daredevils) got two wickets in the previous game (against Sunrisers Hyderabad) but did not bowl his quota of four overs. It really depends on the captain as to how much confidence he has on his spinners," Gambhir added.

The nature of the wickets which have been flat on most of the venues have surprised him especially after the World Twenty20, Gambhir said.
"It is little weird. You are expecting the wickets to be tired especially after the T20 World Cup but apparently the wickets have been very good. It is tough for the bowlers and normally it has been very good wickets to bat on," he said.
For a team that has relied on home advantage, Gambhir said there's nothing wrong in it.
"I am always a believer of giving home advantage to the home side. There is nothing wrong in it. If you go and play in places like Australia or South Africa, there will always be bounce on those kinds of wickets. If you come to India and play, you expect wickets to turn and there is nothing wrong in it irrespective of what the format is. In IPL the wickets have been really good whether it is Eden Gardens or Bengaluru or Mumbai."

"Obviously home advantage does make a difference especially with the crowd's support. When the crowd is in your favour and cheering for you, it does give you an extra boost that you are looking for; especially when you play in places like Eden Gardens or Mumbai or Bengaluru
"Home advantage does not make that much of a difference but you need to be a bit clever in judging what a good total is on that particular wicket," Gambhir said.
KKR will be seeking a revival after their loss to Gujarat Lions in their previous match where they failed to defend 158 for four and lost by five wickets.