India chased 406 against West Indies in Guwahati, a record, but head coach Gautam Gambhir was more worried about the bowlers: 'this is not cricket, this is only batting'.
On 30 September 2026 in Guwahati, India completed the highest successful ODI chase in their history, hunting down 406 against West Indies in the second ODI. West Indies had posted 405 for 7, and India reached 406 for 2 in 43.3 overs to win by eight wickets with 39 balls to spare. India had led the series 1-0 coming into this game.
| Match summary | |
|---|---|
| Result | India won by eight wickets |
| Where | Guwahati, second ODI, 30 September 2026 |
| West Indies | 405 for 7 (50 overs) |
| India | 406 for 2 (43.3 overs) |
| The chase | Highest successful ODI chase in India's history |
What Gambhir said
Speaking to Star Sports after the game, India head coach Gautam Gambhir had sympathy for the bowlers rather than celebration on his mind. “Look, if I have to be absolutely honest, I feel I think there has to be a bit of more contest between bat and ball, because I think you talk about cricket - but this is not cricket, this is only batting,” he said.
“Obviously, for the records it's outstanding, for the crowd it's outstanding, for the broadcaster it's outstanding, but if you ask me as a genuine cricket fan and as a coach, because I have to have sympathy for the bowlers as well,” he added. “When you bowl on this kind of a wicket, it's not fair for the bowlers. So we've got to give something to the bowlers so there's at least something which the bowlers can work with.”
Why the bowlers got no help
Gambhir said bowlers should be judged on the execution of their plans rather than their figures, because “sometimes bowling figures are such that they haven't bowled as poorly as their figures suggest.” With five fielders inside the circle, two new balls and modern power-hitting, he argued, bowlers deserve “sympathy and a bit of margin” on pitches that give them nothing to work with.
What it means for the 2027 World Cup build
The game also saw Auqib Nabi make his India debut, handed to him in a live series rather than a dead rubber. Gambhir said debuting players when the series is on the line tests them under pressure closer to a World Cup, pointing to Gurnoor Brar being trusted with the new ball in the first ten overs and at the death.
With roughly a year to go to the 2027 ODI World Cup, Gambhir counted down the calendar: three months of the year will go to the IPL and three to the India-Australia series, leaving “barely 20 ODIs”, including three against Sri Lanka and three against Zimbabwe. India will keep trying different options at least until that Zimbabwe series.
Draft the bowlers who bend games
Bowlers who can make an impact on flat pitches, the kind Gambhir is searching for, are exactly the players that win BuildXI seasons. You spin eleven real IPL squads from 2008 to 2025, take one player from each, and play a full season with the side you end up with. The target is 14–0: fourteen league games, fourteen wins.