Sunil Gavaskar to bowling critics: Don’t bowl full tosses and then blame the pitching

Sunil Gavaskar has hit back at growing criticism of cricket pitches, insisting that bowling deficiencies rather than the surface were responsible for their 24-run defeat by the West Indies in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad.

The former Indian captain pointed to the number of full tosses and misplaced deliveries that India bowled during the competition and argued that the bowlers cannot blame the surface when they fail to execute their plans. His comments come after India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has reiterated his preference for pitches that offer a better bat-to-ball matchup.

In an interview with JioHotstar, Gavaskar said that even the West Indies bowlers struggled with the right lengths during the partnership between Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy. However, he noted that the visitors found success once they started bowling the right lengths and executing their yorkers.

“Even the West Indies bowlers made quite a few mistakes when the partnership between Tilak Varma and Nitish was developing; they bowled too many full tosses. We often talk about the pitches and blame them, saying they don’t offer the bowlers any help. But when you bowl full tosses, the pitching is not to blame,” Gavaskar said.

He added that bowlers needed to hit the deck to make the most of the surface, rather than offering batsmen scoring opportunities through full tosses and deliveries that landed in the middle of the pitch.

“It was only later when they bowled the right length or delivered yorkers that they found success,” he added.

BOWLING LANES OF INDIA

India’s struggles with the ball were evident as West Indies piled up 247 for three with Shai Hope leading the charge. The home side managed to restrict the visitors only in patches while most of their bowlers struggled to keep the score down.

Prince Yadav was the exception while specialist pacers Mayank Yadav and Arshdeep Singh conceded 52 runs apiece. The Indian bowling unit lacked the consistency and wicket-taking threat needed to prevent the West Indies from posting a formidable total.

The folded pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium offered some help, with players suggesting that the ball lingered on the surface at times and that there was appreciable bounce. However, Gavaskar’s assessment was that the bowlers needed to make better use of the conditions.

Indian captain Shreyas Iyer echoed this sentiment after the defeat, admitted that poor execution with the ball had put his team on the back foot.

“It all started with the bowling. We didn’t execute our line and lengths well and at the end of the day, when you’re chasing 250, you have to go for it in a certain pattern,” Iyer said.

The Indian skipper credited the West Indies for making better use of the conditions and executing their plans more effectively.

“I liked our approach in the chase, but we were unlucky not to execute our plans with the ball and we fell behind a little bit there,” he added.

India eventually finished at 223 for nine in 19.3 overs with Arshdeep out as West Indies leveled the five-match series at 2-2.

The two teams will meet in the series decider at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, with India’s bowling execution likely to be scrutinized again.

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