India head coach Gautam Gambhir expressed his displeasure with the Delhi pitch and its lack of assistance for the pacers during the second Test against West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
“We all thought we could have had a better wicket. Yes, we got a result on day five, but I think the nicks need to carry, there needs to be something for the fast bowlers as well. We talk a lot about spinners playing a role but when you have two quality fast bowlers in your ranks, you want them to be in the game as well. I thought the carry wasn’t there, which was a bit alarming,” Gambhir said after India beat West Indies by seven wickets on Tuesday.
India’s spinners accounted for 13 of the 20 wickets during the match. However, even Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar struggled through the second innings due to a lack of turn and bounce. Ryan ten Doeschate quipped about the pitch turning out slower than expected after the third day. The low bounce and lack of turn meant India needed 119 overs to bundle out West Indies in the second innings after imposing a follow-on on the third day.
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But Gambhir also reserved praise for the visiting side and its fightback in the second half of the game. John Campbell and Shai Hope notched up centuries on the fourth day to help West Indies eke out a lead, thus marking only the fourth instance of India batting in a Test after enforcing a follow-on.
“I’ve always believed that world cricket needs West Indies cricket [to do well]. That is something which is very important. It was very nice to see them fight. And obviously, they’re an inexperienced team and there’s a lot of changes that have happened there. But the way they fought in the second innings, obviously, will give them a lot of confidence,” Gambhir said.
The series marked the first home assignment for captain Shubman Gill, but a sweeping victory merely added to his credentials as a leader that he had established in England. Gill now has 933 runs in 12 innings as India captain, mirroring the haul managed by the revered Sunil Gavaskar at the same nascent stage in his Test reign.
Gambhir appreciated Gill’s ability to lead by example, not just with his performances on the field, but with his conduct off it too.
“I think no one has done him a favour by appointing him the Test captain or One-Day captain. I think he deserves every bit of it. And for me as a coach, I think someone who’s saying the right things, doing the right things, working hard, putting his body on the line, being the first guy on the field, what more can a coach ask for?
I’ve said it many times that England was probably the toughest Test for him. Five Test matches over a course of two-and-a-half months against a quality England side. What more could he have faced? The way he handled himself and the team, and more importantly, the way the team has responded to him [has been impressive],” Gambhir said.
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India’s persistence with Nitish Kumar Reddy drew flak through the series. The all-rounder’s bowling was utilised for just four overs across the two matches and he got to bat once in the series.
Gill opted not to bring him even when West Indies’ second innings dragged on the fourth day in the second Test. But Gambhir explained the motive to include Nitish in the side was fulfilled irrespective of his limited contributions.
“It’s not important how many overs he’s bowled. It’s important that he’s gaining experience. Sometimes you learn a lot just by playing a game of cricket as well. And we don’t want to use a 23-year-old boy just on tough tours away from home. That’s not going to be fair on him. I think when he’s done well overseas, he deserves a go in home conditions as well. Wherever we can get the opportunity to put him in Indian conditions, we’ll continue to do that,” Gambhir said.
Published on Oct 14, 2025
