NEW DELHI: Despite India's seven-wicket victory over the West Indies on Tuesday, the team management expressed disappointment with the rather placid Feroz Shah Kotla pitch used in the second Test.
Looking ahead to their next Test series against South Africa in Kolkata and Guwahati this November, the management hopes for surfaces that allow India's premier pacers, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, to be more effective - especially against a Proteas lineup featuring Kagiso Rabada. The series is set to begin on November 14.
'Dropping players? I hate that word!': Gautam Gambhir opens up on the emotional side of coaching
Head coach Gautam Gambhir reflected the team management's concerns, noting that neither the medium pacers nor the finger spinners were able to extract much from the Kotla track.
"I thought that we could have had a better wicket here. Yes, we did get the result on day five, but again, I think the nicks need to carry. I think there has to be something for the fast bowlers as well," Gambhir said after the end of the match which sealed a 2-0 series sweep for the home side.
"I know we keep talking about spinners playing an important role, but when you've got probably two quality fast bowlers in your ranks, you still want them to be in the game as well," Gambhir underlined the importance of Bumrah and Siraj.
Gautam Gambhir's remarks on Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma's ODI future leave fans speculating
Traditionally, Kotla pitches offer slow turn, but spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar struggled to get any purchase from the surface. Batsmen were able to comfortably play them off the backfoot when the bowlers didn’t vary their pace.
Gambhir believes that if Test cricket is to thrive in India, tracks like Kotla aren't ideal.
"There has to be carry. So what we all saw, I thought the carry wasn't there, which was a bit alarming.
"And I think going forward, we can get better wickets in Test cricket because all of us have the responsibility of keeping Test cricket alive," Gambhir said.
(With PTI Inputs)
