‘This is not cricket’: Gautam Gambhir questions Guwahati pitch after India chase 406 with ease

India coach Gautam Gambhir (left) chats with captain Shubman Gill during a training session. (AP photo) NEW DELHI: India head coach Gautam Gambhir had no doubts about the fun of Wednesday’s extraordinary run-fest in Guwahati, but he was much 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 to win by eight wickets and wrap up 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.However, for Gambhir, the remarkable numbers also highlighted concerns. He felt that the pitch offered too little to the bowlers and demanded more balance between bat and ball.“Look, to be completely honest, I feel like I think there needs to be a bit more competition between bat and ball because I think you’re talking about cricket – but this is not cricket, this is just batting,” Gambhir told Star Sports after the match.“Because imagine a young bowler playing on that wicket and the opposition getting 400 and then we go on to chase 400. Obviously it’s excellent for the records, it’s excellent for the crowd, it’s excellent for the broadcasters, but if you ask me as a real cricket fan and as a coach, because I have to sympathize with the bowlers.”“When you bowl on this kind of wicket, it’s not fair to the bowlers. So we have to give the bowlers something so the bowlers have at least something to work with,” he added.

“It’s not fair to the pitchers”

The Guwahati surface produced some stunning batting, with West Indies reaching 405 for seven before India replied with 406 for two.John Campbell, Shai Hope and Amir Jangoo all hit centuries for the West Indies, while Gill and Rohit then led India’s 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 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 chase of 438 runs against Australia in 2006.But for Gambhir, the degree of scoring made it important to consider what the conditions meant for the bowlers rather than just celebrating the batting numbers.“The first thing is you need a little sympathy and a little reserve for the pitcher,” he said.“A lot of times you can’t be hard on a bowler because sometimes the bowling figures are that they haven’t bowled as badly as their figures suggest. Because the margin is very small.”He also pointed out the limitations that current bowlers face in ODI cricket, including fielding restrictions, two new balls and increasing batting power.“Also, I think you can only aim in good areas because apart from that, with five fielders inside, two new balls and the kind of power hitting that there is now, the bowlers don’t really have many options,” Gambhir said.“That’s why as a coach, as a support staff, the first thing you look at is whether they were able to execute their bowling or their plans correctly? If they were able to do that, you shouldn’t be hard on them.”“If you look too hard at their analysis, then we’re never going to be able to develop a pitcher.

Gambhir encourages exposure for young bowlers

India gave Auqib Nabi his ODI debut despite already leading the series 1-0, and Gambhir said putting inexperienced bowlers in difficult situations was an important part of India’s preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup.“Imagine Auqib (Nabi) playing his first game … somewhere where you need to back them up a bit and give them a bit of extra cushion or more options,” he said. “But unfortunately there wasn’t much for any pitcher today.Gambhir said India could have waited until the third ODI, when the series would have been decided, to give Nabi an opportunity. However, he argued that the dead rubber would not recreate the pressure that young players can experience at the World Cup.“We could have given Auqib a chance in the next game too when it’s a dead rubber, but in a dead rubber you don’t have the pressure that comes with the pressure of winning a series,” he said.“And we all know the World Cup is about pressure. Cricket is not going to change like that, it’s just the pressure will be different because the World Cup is every four years, so we want to put the bowlers under pressure.”He also cited Gurnoor Brar as an example of a young bowler who could benefit from being exposed to the demanding stages of ODIs.“For example, Gurnoor (Brar). When Gurnoor is bowling in the first 10 overs, bowling to 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 make him bounce in the middle overs and get good analytics or good stats for him, make him bowl defensively, but the more we expose them at times like that, the better it is for Indian cricket.”