Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has slammed the West Indies bowling attack following their innings and 140-run defeat to India in the first Test at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
The Caribbean side struggled in their first innings, posting only 162 runs on the board, with Indian fast bowlers Mohammed Siraj (4-40) and Jasprit Bumrah (3-42) doing bulk of the damage.
In reply, the hosts declared their first innings on 448/5 with a sizeable lead of 286 runs. India’s innings was headlined by centuries from KL Rahul (100), Dhruv Jurel (125) and Ravindra Jadeja (104*).
The visiting batters endured failures in the second dig as well, with their innings folding for 146 runs. The match ended in just two and a half days as India gained an unassailable 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
"In Ahmedabad, apart from Jayden Seales, the other two were simply trundlers, who looked more like net bowlers than international ones," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.
"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."
The second Test between India and West Indies is slated to be held in Delhi from October 10-14.
Gavaskar contrasted the current team with West Indies greats from yesteryear, highlighting a perceived decline in batting talent.
"For a team that once boasted of the likes of the Three Ws, Rohan Kanhai, Seymour Nurse, Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, to name just a few, there is simply nobody in this current team who looks like getting a million country miles close to them," the 76-year-old remarked.
"Of course, I haven't forgotten the incomparable Garfield Sobers, Viv Richards and the 'Prince of Trinidad', Brian Lara. They are geniuses born once in a century and were way above normal human beings."
