Former Indian cricket captain Sunil Gavaskar didn’t hold back his criticism of the West Indies bowling attack following their crushing innings and 140-run defeat to India in Ahmedabad.
The West Indies team put up a dismal performance in their first innings, managing only 162 runs, largely due to the impressive efforts of Indian fast bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah.
India solidified their dominance by declaring at a formidable 448/5. They then swiftly dismantled the West Indies batting line-up for just 146 runs in their second innings, concluding the Test match emphatically in merely two and a half days.
Gavaskar, in his column for Sportstar, was particularly scathing about the pace attack:
“In Ahmedabad, apart from Jayden Seales, the other two were simply trundlers, who looked more like net bowlers than international ones.”
“No disrespect intended to them, but to see the first bouncer being bowled after half a dozen overs had been bowled made one ask, ‘Is this really the West Indies pace attack?’ Yes, bowling bouncers is a big effort, and on a hot day, it can take a lot out of a bowler, but it is a surprise weapon to stop the batter from moving on to the front foot regularly.”
The cricketing legend also voiced his deep concern regarding the noticeable decline in the overall batting quality of the West Indies. He suggested that the uneven distribution of wealth within the sport might be a significant contributing factor.
“For a team that once boasted of the likes of the Three Ws, Rohan Kanhai, Seymour Nurse, Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, to name just a few, there is simply nobody in this current team who looks like getting a million country miles close to them.”
“Of course, I haven’t forgotten the incomparable Garfield Sobers, Viv Richards and the ‘Prince of Trinidad’, Brian Lara. They are geniuses born once in a century and were way above normal human beings.”
The second Test match between India and West Indies is scheduled to be held in New Delhi from October 10-14.