{
  "id": 11102691,
  "title": "'This Is Not Cricket, This Is Only Batting’: Gautam Gambhir Slams Guwahati Pitch After India’s Record 406-Run Chase Against West Indies",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/this-is-not-cricket-this-is-only-batting-gautam-gambhir-slams",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-01T03:40:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/this-is-not-cricket-this-is-only-batting-gautam-gambhir-slams-guwahati-pitch-after-indias-record-406-run-chase-against-west-indies"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "India head coach Gautam Gambhir criticized the pitch in Guwahati after his team successfully chased 406 runs against the West Indies in the second ODI. He argued that the conditions were not fair for bowlers, as they received little assistance from the pitch. The Indian team won the match by eight wickets, setting a new record for the highest successful run chase in ODI history. Shubman Gill scored a record-breaking 223 not out, and Rohit Sharma contributed 101 runs. Gambhir emphasized the need to provide more support to young bowlers, stating that the pressure of such matches should be carefully managed. Given the limited number of ODIs remaining before the 2027 World Cup, Gambhir stressed the importance of giving bowlers more opportunities to gain experience in challenging conditions.",
  "summary": "Guwahati: India head coach Gautam Gambhir criticised the Guwahati pitch after his side chased down 406 against the West Indies in the second ODI, saying there needed to be \"a bit of more contest between bat and ball\" and arguing that conditions offering little assistance to bowlers were \"not fair\". India completed the highest successful run chase in their ODI history on Wednesday, reaching the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}