According to India coach Gautam Gambhir, West Indies pacer Roston Chase’s bowling performance was essential in determining the outcome of the match. Chase eliminated key hitters throughout India’s innings, limiting the scoring phase when India could have reached a bigger total by capturing three wickets for 24 runs.
Gautam Gambhir review focused primarily on Chase’s tactical strategy and how he executed his variations on a Ranchi pitch with movement and bounce.
On October 9, 2026, at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi, the West Indies set a new record chase, topping India’s 249 for five with 252 for four wickets in 18.3 overs. With the victory, the five-match T20I series was level at one. Sherfane Rutherford hit 84 in a 120-run partnership that proved essential in the chase, while Shai Hope remained unbeaten with 102. The combined score of 501 runs in 38.3 overs was the second-highest in men’s Twenty20 International history.
How Roston Chase’s versions affected the game.
Gautam Gambhir talked into detail about the specific bowling methods that enabled Chase to upset India’s batting lineup. During the crucial middle overs of India’s innings, the Indian coach explained how Chase’s variety kept the Indian batsmen guessing and prevented them from creating a rhythm.
Despite the setback, Gautam Gambhir accepted the West Indies’ superior batting performance and refused to explain India’s inability to hang on to their lead. He emphasised that India’s bowling and fielding units needed to perform better against elite opponents, particularly while defending a total of more than 240 in Twenty20 International cricket.
Why India couldn’t safeguard 250
Gautam Gambhir also addressed Sherfane Rutherford’s dropped catch during the West Indies chase, stating that fielding errors are unavoidable in cricket and should not be the primary focus of criticism. He underlined that in order to improve their performance in forthcoming games, the squad need focus on controllable matters.
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When asked whether 250 was a safe score in modern T20I cricket, Gautam Gambhir reviewed India’s strategy during the game as well as the level of the West Indies’ batting performance. He admitted that, while India had taken early wickets and appeared to have a competitive total, the West Indies’ aggressive plan and Hope and Rutherford’s partnership were too strong to contain.
