Gautam Gambhir turned 45 on Wednesday, October 14, but there was no birthday gift waiting for him in Hyderabad. West Indies beat India by 24 runs to level the five match T20I series at 2-2.
Shai Hope smashed 102 off 50 balls to help West Indies post 247/3, while Keemo Paul picked up five wickets to stop India’s chase at 223.
Hope’s innings raises a question about the kind of pitches India are playing on. Before this series, his T20I strike rate was around 132.
In these conditions, he has attacked the Indian bowlers at a much higher rate. High scores look exciting, but are flat pitches making six hitting easier without properly testing batters?
Indian batters can dominate at home, but overseas conditions can be very different when the ball moves or the pitch offers extra bounce.
Despite, the pitch cannot take all the blame. India’s bowlers gave away too many loose deliveries, including full tosses, wides and other extras.
Mayank’s expensive spell hurt the team, while the attack struggled to execute its plans against Hope and Shimron Hetmyer. Flat surfaces make bowling difficult, but international bowlers cannot afford to keep gifting easy runs.
India’s batters also failed to finish the chase. Sanju Samson smashed 56 off 23 balls and gave the team a flying start, but Keemo Paul dismissed him and Ishan Kishan in the same over.
Gudakesh Motie then removed Abhishek Sharma and Naman Dhir on consecutive deliveries. India had the platform for a big chase but lost wickets at crucial moments and could not maintain the required momentum.
Every other T20 match seems to be turning into a 250 run contest. Batters are dominating, bowlers are paying for their mistakes, and the balance between bat and ball is becoming a concern.
Pitches are part of the debate, but India’s batting approach and bowling execution also need serious attention.
With the five match T20I series now level at 2-2, everything comes down to the fifth and final match in Bengaluru on October 17.
Gambhir may not have received a birthday gift in Hyderabad, but India still have one match left to turn things around and clinch the series.
