Kochi: Backing the bowlers on Monday, India’s opening batsman Gautam Gambhir said that it would be unfair to put the blame of India’s loss in the first ODI against England solely on them.

“When we win we win as a team and when we face defeat, we face it as a team. All the eleven players on the field are equally responsible for the win and loss. So it would be unfair to blame the bowlers for the loss in the last match. They were the same bowlers who won us the match in the third T20 match against Pakistan,” Gambhir defended the bowlers, stating that the England bowlers too didn’t fare good in the match.

“They scored 325 and we scored 316. So there wasn’t much difference between the bowlers on both the sides. Only bowlers don't win the match for you. Whenever the batsmen don't do well, bowlers cover up for them and vice versa. I think the bowlers are putting in all the hard work," Gambhir said.

Talking about the criticism that Indian players have been receiving off late, Gambhir said it has been be one match in this series it’s not the way to look at it. Gambhir also defended Ishant Sharma, who was quite expensive, in the first match, saying that it’s was just one bad day for the Delhi pacer.

"He did well in the matches against Pakistan. He is working hard and he has been bowling really well.”

Talking about India’s batting, Gambhir, who scored 52 in Rajkot, said Indian batsmen needed to capitalise on the good starts. “Four of us crossed the fifty mark but none of us could play for long. Had one of us stayed till the end, we would have won the match. But then when you are chasing 325, you have to score at a decent run rate. You have to take your chances even in the middle overs," he said.

Gambhir also asked the media to restrain itself from putting pressure on Bhuvaneshwar Kumar. He said he is a decent bowler and people should not project him as an all-rounder. “Just let me be what he is. He is bowling well and if he contributes with the bat as well, it’s going to be a bonus for us,” said Gambhir.