Former Indian cricket captain Sunil Gavaskar has expressed strong criticism of the West Indies pace attack following their 140-run defeat to India in the first Test in Ahmedabad.
West Indies struggled in their first innings, scoring only 162 runs, as Indian fast bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah dominated proceedings. India declared at 448/5 before dismissing the visitors for 146 in the second innings, bringing the match to a close in just two and a half days.
Gavaskar’s observations
Writing in his column for Sportstar, Gavaskar noted that apart from Jayden Seales, the remaining West Indies bowlers resembled “net bowlers rather than international cricketers.”
“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,” he wrote.
Gavaskar further highlighted the decline in the team’s batting, contrasting the current squad with legends like the Three Ws, Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Garfield Sobers, Viv Richards, and Brian Lara.
“For a team that once boasted of such legends, there is simply nobody in this current team who looks like getting a million country miles close to them,” he added.
Looking ahead
The second Test between India and West Indies is scheduled to take place in New Delhi from October 10-14. Gavaskar’s critique raises questions about the need for a major revamp of the West Indies bowling unit and improvements in batting depth to compete at the highest level.