Head coach Gambhir criticises Guwahati track

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir came down heavily on a flat Barsapara Stadium track where India chased down a record 406 against the West Indies with skipper Shubman Gill hitting a double hundred and former captain Rohit Sharma smashing his 35th century. Not to forget the centuries scored by West Indies batters John Campbell, skipper Shai Hope and rising star Amir Jangoo. Even after a comfortable chase, Gambhir’s irritation was palpable. “If I have to be absolutely honest, I feel there has to be a bit more contest between bat and ball. This is not cricket, this is only batting. Imagine a young bowler bowling on this wicket, and the opposition getting 400 and then we go on to chase 400,” Gambhir said. Five centuries and a total of 800 plus runs in an ODI might be enthralling for spectators but the uneven contest turns bowlers into bystanders, reckoned Gambhir. “Obviously, for the records, for the crowd, it’s outstanding, but if you ask me as a genuine cricket fan and as a coach, because I have to have sympathy for bowlers as well. “When you bowl on this kind of a wicket, it’s not fair for bowlers. So, we’ve got to give something to the bowlers so there’s at least something which they can work with,” he added.