Gautam Gambhir has raised questions over the Guwahati pitch after India and West Indies scored 811 runs in the second ODI.
India won the match by eight wickets after chasing 406 runs in 43.3 overs, but the India head coach was not happy with the conditions for the bowlers.
West Indies scored 405/7 after being asked to bat first, with John Campbell, Shai Hope and Amir Jangoo scoring centuries. India then chased the target with Rohit Sharma making 101 and Shubman Gill scoring an unbeaten 223.
The match saw five centuries and more than 800 runs, but Gambhir felt there was not enough contest between bat and ball.
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 said after the match.
Gambhir also spoke about the situation faced by bowlers on such pitches. India conceded 405 runs, while Gurnoor Brar gave away 96 runs in his 10 overs and debutant Auqib Nabi conceded 84 runs in 8.5 overs.
The question now is whether Indian cricket needs to prepare pitches that give bowlers more help.
This is not the first time batting-l friendly pitches have been discussed in Indian cricket, with the IPL also seeing several high scoring matches every season.
The BCCI has a role in deciding the venues and managing international cricket in India, but pitch preparation is also handled at the individual venues.
So, should India be looking for more balanced pitches instead of surfaces where 400 plus totals are possible?
The issue is also important with the 2027 ODI World Cup coming up in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
India will have to prepare for conditions that could be very different from the flat pitches seen in games like the Guwahati ODI.
India may have won the series, but Gambhir’s comments have started a different discussion.
Are Indian pitches becoming too easy for batters, and is it time to give bowlers more help?
