Gautam Gambhir Raises Concerns Over Batter-Friendly Pitches in India
Gautam Gambhir was unhappy when the Indian team lost the second T20I against the West Indies. Losing the game while posting a total of 249 shows the issues with the pitch conditions. The Indian coach has now called for having more balanced wickets in the game.
The shortest format of the game is now feeling like a batting paradise. With flat pitches and quick outfields, the batters are able to smash even the experienced bowlers all over the ground. And this was seen clearly in the second T20I between India and West Indies, where more than 500 runs were scored.
India batted first in this game and the team managed to post a total of 249/5 in 20 overs. West Indies had a shaky start in this game, as the team only managed to score 9 runs and had lost two wickets. But Shai Hope started a rescue, and accompanied with Sherfane Rutherford, West Indies chased down the target with 9 balls remaining.
After the match, Gautam Gambhir criticised the batter-friendly conditions, as he said, “Who doesn't want a good competition between bat and ball? Of course. What you want, we also want. If you want an even contest, then we also want an even contest, because bowlers are our bowlers too, right? They aren't foreign bowlers, their careers are also at stake. They also worked hard to sit in this dressing room, it’s not like they didn't work hard. They have also worked hard. So if there is an even competition, it will be good, and better cricket will be seen.”
Our Take
The T20 format being more favourable to the batsmen has been a challenge for the bowlers. There was a time when the bowlers used to get advantage from the pitch, but that's not possible even in the powerplay with the new ball.