Gautam Gambhir praised Roston Chase’s match-winning spell of 3/24 for halting India’s charge in the middle overs
Gambhir said India need to find ways to defend big totals against dangerous teams like West Indies
Mayank Yadav dropped a sitter as Sherfane Rutherford (84) and Shai Hope (102 not out) stitched together a match-winning 120-run partnership to seal a record chase
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has pointed to Roston Chase's impact in the middle overs as a turning point in the second T20I against West Indies, while stressing that India must learn to defend imposing totals after suffering a six-wicket defeat.
Chase finished with figures of 3/24, removing Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Shivam Dube to halt India's momentum after the hosts made an explosive start with the bat.
Assessing the West Indies all-rounder's performance, Gambhir said, “If you look at the context of the game, it was a game-changing, match-winning spell. The way he changed his lines was important on this wicket. But against dangerous teams like West Indies, we need to find a way to defend totals."
Explaining what made Chase effective, the India coach said, “You have to keep changing your lines and make the batters guess. If you keep bowling the same line and length, they can settle in. He bowled at the batters' legs, went wide and bowled full. He kept changing his approach, and those variations are very important on wickets like these,” Gambhir said.
India had put up a formidable 249/5, with Sanju Samson leading the charge with 82 runs and Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma providing quick contributions. However, the West Indies batters dismantled the target, reaching 250 in just 18.3 overs to register a record chase.
Gambhir refused to single out individuals despite India's inability to defend the total, acknowledging the visitors' batting effort while admitting that the team had areas to address.
“I don't blame anyone or anything. The bottom line is that we could not defend 250. They batted extremely well and deserved to win. We still have a lot of work to do."
One of the decisive moments came when Mayank Yadav dropped a straightforward catch offered by Sherfane Rutherford. The West Indies batter made India pay, scoring 84 and combining with Shai Hope, who remained unbeaten on 102, in a match-winning 120-run partnership.
Asked about the missed opportunity, Gambhir said dropped catches were part of the game and should not be treated as deliberate mistakes.
"The toss is not in your hands. Catches get dropped; it has happened in the past and will happen in the future. Nobody drops catches intentionally, so you cannot blame anyone for that.
India's inability to defend 250 also raised questions about whether any total could be considered safe against a batting line-up capable of such a relentless assault. Gambhir admitted that the early wickets had strengthened India's belief in the target, but the West Indies' response proved decisive.
"I don't know if there is a safe total. We thought 250 was a good score, especially after taking two early wickets. But credit to the West Indies for what they achieved with the bat,” he added.
India will face West Indies in the third T20I on Sunday, October 11, 2026, at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM IST, with the five-match series level at 1-1.
