'Their careers are at stake as well': Gautam Gambhir breaks silence after India's defeat
Indian cricket coach Gautam Gambhir defended fast bowler Mayank Yadav's aggressive bowling style despite a high-scoring loss to the West Indies. Gambhir emphasized the need for balanced pitches that provide a fair contest between bat and ball.
Why it matters
The comments highlight ongoing debates in international cricket regarding pitch preparation and the development of fast-bowling talent.
NEW DELHI: Mayank Yadav's fiery opening spell was one of the positives for India in their second T20I against the West Indies in Ranchi on Friday. The fast bowler regularly clocked speeds above 140 kmph and took two wickets off successive deliveries in the first over, dismissing Kamil Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer. He later bowled Rovman Powell with a delivery clocked at 149 kmph.Mayank finished with three wickets in three overs but conceded 36 runs at an economy rate of 12.00.Despite his early strikes, India failed to defend 249 as the West Indies chased down the target to win by six wickets.India head coach Gautam Gambhir said the match could not be judged by what happened in the opening over."I have played enough cricket to know that games are not decided in the first over. Obviously, the West Indies are a strong T20 side.
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