Sunil Gavaskar has pushed back against the growing criticism of cricket pitches, insisting that India's bowling shortcomings, rather than the surface, were responsible for their 24-run defeat to the West Indies in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad.

The former India captain pointed to the number of full tosses and poorly pitched deliveries bowled by India during the contest, arguing that bowlers cannot blame the surface when they fail to execute their plans. His comments come after India head coach Gautam Gambhir reiterated his preference for pitches that offer a better contest between bat and ball.

Speaking on JioHotstar, Gavaskar said even the West Indies bowlers struggled to get their lengths right during the partnership between Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy. However, he noted that the visitors found success once they began bowling the right lengths and executing their yorkers.

“Even the West Indies bowlers made quite a few errors while the partnership between Tilak Varma and Nitish was developing; they bowled too many full tosses. We often talk about pitches and blame them, claiming they offer no assistance to the bowlers. But if you bowl full tosses, the pitch isn't to blame,” Gavaskar said.

He added that bowlers needed to hit the deck to make the most of the surface, rather than offering batters scoring opportunities through full tosses and deliveries that landed halfway down the pitch.

“Only later, when they bowled the right length or delivered yorkers, did they find success,” he added.

INDIA'S BOWLING WOES

India's struggles with the ball were evident as the West Indies piled up 247 for three, with Shai Hope leading the charge. The hosts managed to restrict the visitors only in patches, while most of their bowlers struggled to contain the scoring.

Prince Yadav was the exception, while specialist pacers Mayank Yadav and Arshdeep Singh conceded 52 runs apiece. The Indian bowling unit lacked the consistency and wicket-taking threat required to prevent the West Indies from posting a formidable total.

The relaid pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium offered some assistance, with players suggesting that the ball occasionally held up on the surface and that there was noticeable bounce. However, Gavaskar's assessment was that bowlers needed to make better use of those conditions.

India captain Shreyas Iyer echoed that sentiment after the defeat, admitting that poor execution with the ball had put his team on the back foot.

“It all started with bowling. We didn't execute our line and lengths well and, at the end of the day, when you're chasing 250, you have to go about it in a certain pattern,” Iyer said.

The India skipper credited the West Indies for making better use of the conditions and executing their plans more effectively.

“I liked our approach during the chase, but we were unfortunate that we couldn't execute our plans with the ball, and that's where we fell a bit short,” he added.

India eventually finished at 223 for nine in 19.3 overs, with Arshdeep retiring hurt, as the West Indies levelled the five-match series 2-2.

The two teams will meet in the series decider at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, with India's bowling execution likely to come under renewed scrutiny.

- Ends