Did the Guwahati pitch forget that bowlers are part of the game?

By K.R. Nayar

Five centuries and 811 runs in the second ODI at Guwahati made batters look like a firing squad. It was sheer massacre of bowlers on a pitch that seemed like it was meant only for batters. It is likely that bowlers from both the teams may need counselling before the third ODI.

When the West Indies posted 405 for 7, it looked like an unscalable mountain. Indian batters, led by captain Shubman Gill’s unbeaten double century and Rohit Sharma’s century, made the score look like a molehill. Winning the second ODI of the series by eight wickets, with 39 balls to spare, makes one wonder whether India could have chased a target of over 500 runs as well. 

The West Indies scored their highest total with centuries from John Campbell, Shai Hope and Amir Jangoo, and yet could not win. An ODI match like this could dissuade  youngsters from wanting to be a bowler. There was a time when a score close to 380 was a sure shot victory for that team, and the captain would be preparing his victory speech while fielding.

The West Indies did almost everything a batting team could dream of. Rohit began the demolition act with confidence, smashing 101 from 75 balls, reaching his 35th ODI century and becoming the third Indian and seventh batter overall to cross 12,000 ODI runs. His 255-run opening partnership with Gill can be recorded as an example of how two determined batters can make a whopping target look reachable.

The manner in which Gill batted made one think whether, as captain, he also instructs the deliveries bowled at him where they should go . He got the ball to travel to the boundary 22 times and eight times over the boundary during the course of his unbeaten 223.

Usually, when such big scores are posted, the pitch is called a batting paradise. But in this match, when 811 runs were scored, wasn’t it a pitch that showed the bowlers what it is like to be in hell? When a team scores 405 and still feels nervous about whether that was enough, then the question is - are we killing an intense contest between the ball and bat that makes matches exciting to watch? Bowlers looked liked boxers who were asked to fight with one hand tied behind.

Fans enjoy boundaries, centuries and sixes disappearing into the stands.  But it is the uncertainty of the result, the battle of skills and the possibility of how one brilliant delivery can alter the course of a match that makes cricket entertaining.  If every decent ball can be hit for a four, then where is the beauty of a contest?.

Though the pitch was easy, Gill’s batting made it a delight to watch. He raced past the 200 mark as if it was just another station waving a green flag.  When Rohit and Gill are at the crease, what one gets to see is experience meeting the future. Both are established masters of destructive batting.

It is the first-ever ODI to feature five centurions. This raises the question of whether ODI pitches and batting conditions are maintaining enough balance between bat and ball. Are we witnessing a golden age of batting, or is the game passing through an endangered age of bowling?

Fast bowlers as well as spinners in this match gave away close to 70 runs each. Indian pacer Gurnoor Brar gave away 96 runs from his 10 overs. Is watching bowlers on helpless wickets give away  close to 100 runs really a spectacle we should celebrate? While clapping for Gill and Rohit for their winning show, the bowlers of both the teams too deserve a pat for trying hard.  They were fighting not just the batters but the pitch itself.