Gambhir calls for better pitches in Test cricket
It’s the fifth day of Test cricket series, the sun is blazing down on the Delhi pitch, and the Indian bowlers have been struggling for hours to take the final wickets. Yes, winning the series 2-0 is a fact. But does this make India head coach Gautam Gambhir feel any better? As it turns out, no. Instead of basking in the glory, Gambhir calls for better pitches in Test cricket.
Pitch as the main opponent: pain and numbers
“I think we could have had a better pitch here,” Gambhir said at the post-match press conference. And this phrase is not just a simple formality or an attempt to be politically correct. Behind it lies real pain and concern for the future of the format. After all, what is Test cricket without a fair fight between bat and ball? A boring spectacle, nothing more.
Look at the numbers; they speak louder than words. In Delhi, the Indian team played a total of more than 200 overs on the field! After Shubman Gill forced the West Indies to follow-on, the bowlers had to squeeze out another 118.5 overs in the second innings. Jasprit Bumrah bowled 31.5 overs, Mohammed Siraj 24.
They certainly squeezed incredible moments out of seemingly nothing. But the pitch was their main opponent.
“I think there has to be something for the fast bowlers as well,” Gambhir continues. And this isn’t a whim, but the voice of common sense. India now has, one might say, a golden duo of fast bowlers.
“I know we keep talking about spinners playing an important role, but when you’ve got probably two quality fast bowlers in your ranks, you still want them to be in the game as well.”
Gambhir calls for better pitches in Test cricket: hopes for Kolkata
To be honest, there is a grain of healthy idealism in his words. After a 3-0 home defeat to New Zealand, where the pitches were literally spinning from the first day, India decided to change tactics. Ahmedabad and Delhi offered flatter surfaces. But if in the first case the West Indies simply failed to show their game, then by the second match they “came to their senses” and made the hosts sweat quite a bit.
Gambhir calls for better pitches in Test cricket and here’s why. ” And I think going forward, we can get better wickets in Test cricket because all of us have the responsibility of keeping Test cricket alive. And the first and most important condition for that is playing on good surfaces.”
Frankly, this is a bold statement. In a country where spin bowling cricket traditionally reigns supreme, asking for help for fast bowlers is almost a challenge. But perhaps this is precisely the kind of courage we lack. After all, no one wants to watch a five-day match where the outcome is predetermined by the nature of the pitch.
The next home series will be a test for this new philosophy. Will Kolkata, where India will play South Africa in mid-November, be able to offer what Gambhir dreams of? It remains an open question. But one thing is clear: the coaching staff, led by Gambhir, will fight for every detail to bring back to Test cricket the unpredictability and intensity that make it great.
Speaking of the future. Gambhir didn’t forget about the opposing team, noting the fighting spirit of the inexperienced West Indies team. He also praised new captain Shubman Gill, whose start as leader has been more than confident. “No one did him a favor by making him captain. He’s richly deserved it.” And if the team trusts their young leader, perhaps we should also trust their coach in his desire to make the game better?
