NEW DELHI: India head coach Gautam Gambhir had little doubt about the entertainment value of Wednesday’s extraordinary run-fest in Guwahati, but he was far less impressed by the conditions that allowed both teams to score more than 400 runs.After West Indies posted 405 for seven, India chased down the target in just 43.3 overs, winning by eight wickets to seal the three-match ODI series 2-0. Shubman Gill smashed an unbeaten 223 off 133 balls, while Rohit Sharma scored 101 off 75 as India completed the highest successful run chase in their ODI history.Yet, for Gambhir, the remarkable numbers also highlighted a concern. He felt the pitch offered too little to the bowlers and called for a greater balance between bat and ball.“Look, if I have to be absolutely honest, I feel I think there has to be a bit of more contest between bat and ball, because I think you talk about cricket – but this is not cricket, this is only batting,” Gambhir told Star Sports after the match.“Because imagine a young bowler bowling on this wicket, and the opposition getting 400 and then we go on to chase 400. Obviously, for the records it’s outstanding, for the crowd it’s outstanding, for the broadcaster it’s outstanding, but if you ask me as a genuine cricket fan and as a coach, because I have to have sympathy for the bowlers as well.”“When you bowl on this kind of a wicket, it’s not fair for the bowlers. So we’ve got to give something to the bowlers so there’s at least something which the bowlers can work with,” he added.
‘It’s not fair for the bowlers’
The Guwahati surface produced a stunning batting display, with West Indies reaching 405 for seven before India responded with 406 for two.John Campbell, Shai Hope and Amir Jangoo struck centuries for West Indies, while Gill and Rohit then led the Indian chase. Gill’s unbeaten 223 was the defining innings of the day, while his opening partnership of 255 with Rohit was India’s second-highest in men’s ODIs.Virat Kohli, who had scored a century in the first ODI, contributed 29 off 19 balls before falling, while Ruturaj Gaikwad made 31 off 37.The match became only the second successful chase of a target of 400 or more in men’s ODI history, after South Africa’s famous 438-run chase against Australia in 2006.For Gambhir, however, the scale of the scoring made it important to consider what the conditions meant for the bowlers rather than simply celebrating the batting numbers.“The first thing is that you need some sympathy and a bit of margin for the bowlers,” he said.“Often you can’t be hard on bowlers, because sometimes bowling figures are such that they haven’t bowled as poorly as their figures suggest. Because the margin is very small.”He also pointed to the restrictions modern-day bowlers face in ODI cricket, including fielding restrictions, two new balls and the increasing power of batters.“Plus, I think you can only bowl in good areas because besides that, with five fielders inside, two new balls, and the kind of power-hitting there is now, bowlers don’t really have many options,” Gambhir said.“That is why, as a coach, as a support staff, the first thing you look at is, were they able to execute their bowling or their plans properly? If they were able to do that, then you shouldn’t be hard on them.”“If you get too hard just looking at their analysis, then we will never be able to develop bowlers.”
Gambhir backs exposure for young bowlers
India gave Auqib Nabi his ODI debut despite already leading the series 1-0, and Gambhir said putting inexperienced bowlers into difficult situations was an important part of India’s preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup.“Imagine Auqib [Nabi] playing his first game… somewhere you need to give them a bit of support and keep a bit of an extra cushion or extra options for them,” he said. “But unfortunately, today there wasn’t much for any bowler.”Gambhir said India could have waited until the third ODI, when the series would already be decided, to give Nabi an opportunity. But he argued that a dead rubber would not recreate the pressure young players could experience at a World Cup.“We could have given Auqib a chance in the next match too when it’s a dead rubber, but in a dead rubber, you don’t have that pressure which comes with the pressure of winning a series,” he said.“And we all know that the World Cup is all about pressure. Cricket isn’t going to change like that, only the pressure will be different because the World Cup comes once in four years, so we want to put bowlers under pressure.”He also cited Gurnoor Brar as an example of a young bowler who could benefit from being exposed to demanding phases of an ODI.“For example, Gurnoor [Brar]. Having Gurnoor bowl in the first 10 overs, bowling at the death, I know people will talk about his analysis, but the more he bowls in tough conditions, in tough situations, the better it is for Indian cricket,” Gambhir said.“Because you can have him bowl in the middle overs and get good analysis or good stats for him, make him bowl defensively, but the more we expose them at such times, the better it is for Indian cricket.”
