India head coach Gautam Gambhir has insisted that his side must learn from its mistakes after the West Indies completed a six-wicket victory in the second T20I in Ranchi.
The visitors chased down a target of 250 to bring the five-match series level at 1-1.
India initially gained the upper hand by reducing the West Indies to 58/3 during the powerplay.
However, Shai Hope struck an unbeaten 102, while Sherfane Rutherford smashed 84 from just 37 deliveries to steer the visitors to their highest successful chase in men’s T20Is.
Gambhir said India’s status as world champions should strengthen their commitment to improvement rather than excuse shortcomings.
“You don’t shrug off any defeat. If you want to keep improving, you don’t want to put anything under the carpet. We are a world-champion team, so we want to keep improving,” he said during the post-match press conference.
He acknowledged that dew and a batting-friendly surface had made life difficult for the bowlers but maintained that the team needed to develop ways to overcome such challenges.
Coach Seeks Better Balance Between Bat and Ball
India’s 249/5 featured an impressive 82 off 41 balls from Sanju Samson, while Tilak Varma contributed 44. Nevertheless, Hope and Rutherford countered the attack with a decisive 120-run stand.
Gambhir argued that high-scoring matches should still provide bowlers with opportunities to challenge batters.
“You don’t want a good bat-and-ball competition?” he asked, emphasising that a more balanced contest would improve the quality of the game.
He also underlined the commitment and professional stakes involved for India’s bowlers.
Mayank Yadav gave India an encouraging start by taking two wickets in the opening over and dismissing another batter during the powerplay.
The West Indies, however, recovered through their powerful partnership.
Gambhir backed Mayank’s decision to use his pace rather than depend on slower deliveries.
“He is a fast bowler; he should bowl like a fast bowler,” Gambhir said, expressing confidence in the young pacer’s approach and natural ability to bowl quickly.
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