India head coach Gautam Gambhir has requested better homepitches, stressing that surfaces should offer more bounce and carry to keep Test cricket balanced. His comments on the pitches came after India’s seven-wicket win over West Indies in Delhi, where the hosts had to bowl nearly 200 overs for victory.
Though India sealed the series 2-0, Gambhir said he wasn’t fully satisfied with the pitch. “I thought that we could have had a better wicket here,” he said in the post-match conference. “Yes, we did get the result on day five, but again, I think nicks need to carry. I think there has to be something for the fast bowlers as well.”
He emphasised that spinners often play an important role in Indian conditions, but the pacers also deserve to be in the game. “And it is okay if there is not enough [turn], but there has to be carry,” he explained. “So where we all saw [that] carry wasn’t there, [it] was a bit alarming.”
Gambhir further highlighted the need for better surfaces to protect the quality of the longest format. “I think going forward, we can get better wickets in Test cricket, because all of us have the responsibility of keeping Test cricket alive,” he said. “I think the first and foremost thing to keep Test cricket alive is playing on good surfaces.”
After losing 3-0 to New Zealand last year, India chose more balanced pitches. The team will now tour Australia for white-ball matches before coming back home to play a full series against South Africa.
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