This is not cricket, this is only batting: Gambhir slams Guwahati pitch
India might have won big in the 2nd ODI against West Indies, but that did not make head coach Gautam Gambhir happy. On Wednesday, September 30, India chased down a mammoth 405-run target with relative ease, finishing things off in just 43.3 overs.
Reacting to the 811-run fest after the ODI, Gambhir lambasted the Guwahati pitch. The head coach hit out at the lack of balance between bat and ball and said that what transpired in Guwahati was not cricket, but only batting.
"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 the broadcaster after the match. Gautam Gambhir (right) with RP Singh in Guwahati. (PTI Photo)
Bowlers had a difficult time in both halves of the match on Wednesday. India won the toss and opted to bowl first in Guwahati. They failed to dominate the powerplay once again and ended up leaking runs throughout the innings. Opener John Campbell and No. 3 Shai Hope put together a partnership of 110 runs, setting the stage for a big total.
Both Campbell and Hope scored hundreds, which was later followed by another powerful century from Amir Jangoo. West Indies raked up a total of 405 runs, but given the condition of the pitch and India's batting firepower, it was unclear if this could have been a defendable total.SHUBMAN SEALS INCREDIBLE CHASE
The second half of the match followed a similar progression. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill added 255 runs for the first wicket in just 26 overs. The partnership wiped out any chances that West Indies had in the match, setting India up for an incredible chase.
After Rohit's dismissal at 101, Shubman took over and scored the fastest double century in ODI cricket. The India captain remained unbeaten on 223 off just 133 balls, sealing the fate of the chase.
Gambhir did not hold back when he attacked the broadcasting ecosystem for favouring high-scoring matches that take bowling skills out of contention.
"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," he concluded on the matter.
Several former cricketers and fans have complained about broadcasters favouring games that are highly biased towards batters. There seems to be growing discontent among cricket fans, who are perhaps tired of seeing defensive bowling, with bowlers simply trying to stay out of the hitting arcs of batters.
The West Indies series has faced the fans' wrath as well, with many questioning why India are playing on flat decks when the ODI World Cup matches next year will be in South Africa, where the conditions could offer more seam and bounce than these flat decks.- Ends
