India won the ODI series against West Indies 2-1, but its pace attack was found out. Across three matches, India’s fast bowlers took 8 wickets in 81.5 overs at 7.80 runs an over.
The spinners bowled on the same pitches and went at 6.02. West Indies made 295, then 405 for 7 in Guwahati, their highest ODI total, then chased 352 in New Chandigarh, a defence that fits a pattern Shubman Gill has already admitted.
The figures show young quicks getting hit. What they hide is how often India changed the job those bowlers were asked to do.
| Bowling group | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pace | 81.5 | 638 | 8 | 7.80 |
| Spin | 66.3 | 400 | 10 | 6.02 |
| Pacer | Matches | Figures | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gurnoor Brar | 3 | 29.1-0-220-3 | 7.54 |
| Prasidh Krishna | 2 | 15-0-105-3 | 7.00 |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | 2 | 11.5-0-95-1 | 8.03 |
| Auqib Nabi | 1 | 8.5-0-84-0 | 9.50 |
| Anshul Kamboj | 1 | 9-0-82-0 | 9.11 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 1 | 8-0-52-1 | 6.50 |
The attack was raw by design and by bad luck. Jasprit Bumrah was at the Asian Games with the T20I side, and Arshdeep Singh was unavailable. Prasidh hurt his left hamstring in Guwahati and missed the final game.
Two pacers made their ODI debuts: Auqib Nabi in Guwahati and Kamboj in New Chandigarh. Nitish’s 8.03 economy adds weight to questions over his ODI role. Kuldeep Yadav was the only bowler who controlled the series, with 7 wickets at 5.57 an over.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir blamed the surface after India chased 406 in Guwahati.
“This is not cricket, this is only batting. When you bowl on this kind of a wicket, it’s not fair for the bowlers.”
Gautam Gambhir, post-match on Star Sports, Guwahati, 30 September 2026
GAUTAM GAMBHIR SLAMS GUWAHATI PITCH.🗣️
“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”. https://t.co/25OLkiR67U
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 1, 2026
The pitches explain the runs, not the gap. The spinners bowled on the same tracks and conceded almost two runs an over fewer.
India also made Brar’s job harder on purpose. In the first two ODIs, he bowled more than half his overs in the powerplay and at the death, not in the middle overs he prefers. Gambhir has said he wants Brar tested in tough situations, not protected for good figures.
Insider Read
India bowlers Every phase asks a fast bowler for a different ball. With the new ball, you pitch it up and hunt the edge. In the middle overs, you hit a hard length to a set field. At the death, you aim at the blockhole or go wide outside off. An experienced quick moves between these because years of repetition have grooved each one. Nine ODIs into a career, none of them is grooved at this level yet.
The damage shows up in small places: a wide while searching for the yorker, a length that drifts because the body has not settled on one release. Brar bowled 9 wides in the series. That is not a lack of skill. It is a bowler rebuilding his action every spell, and India are paying for that education in runs now.
Where the Fan Anger Is Right, and Where It Isn’t
One fan post grouped Brar, Prasidh, Kamboj and Nitish under “quota” picks.
Ghodo ki Race me Daudte hue ……. #IYKYK
🤡Gurnoon Brar – Height, Speed, DOSTI Quota
🤡Prasidha – “IMPROVING” “IMPROVING” “IMPROVING” Quota – 36 tak IMPROVE Kr hi jaega
🤡Kamboj – Bhagta hua SPINNER, SWING Bowler Quota. IPL Quota
🤡Nitish K Reddy – Bowler bana k rahenge Qouta.— AkCricTalks🎤🇮🇳 (@AKCricTalks) October 4, 2026
The post gets one key figure wrong. Brar’s 0-97 came at Lord’s against England, not in this series. His worst return against West Indies was 2-96.
Kamboj’s 0-82 on debut is accurate. Siraj, the most experienced quick in that game, bowled only 8 of his 10 overs.
The anger over results is fair. The claims about why players were picked have no evidence behind them. With the 2027 World Cup in South Africa about a year away, India need this experiment to produce an attack, not just lessons.
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