'It's bat-versus-bat, not ideal' — WI head coach Daren Sammy on flat pitches in ODI series

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has expressed concern over the flat batting surfaces on offer in the ongoing three-match ODI series against India, describing the conditions as a 'bat-versus-bat contest' and acknowledging they are not ideal for bowlers.

Sammy made these remarks ahead of the third ODI, speaking to India TV. The second ODI, played at Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on September 30, 2026, produced an extraordinary amount of runs from both sides. West Indies posted 405 runs, with three batters scoring centuries — John Campbell, Shai Hope (104) and Amir Jangoo (114). It was the first time in ODI history that West Indies crossed the 400-run mark.

India then chased down 406 runs in 43.3 overs, winning by 8 wickets with 39 balls remaining. The chase is now India's highest-ever successful run total in ODI cricket. Rohit Sharma contributed 101 runs during the chase. India lead the three-match series 2-0.

"Yes, they batted well, the pitch was flat, but were we as consistent as we could be? For me, motivating them is the job. You're in India; the pitches will be good [for batting]. It's not ideal for bowlers, but we still got to come out and be as consistent as we can be, so that's where I'll challenge them to be consistent, cause it's both the pitch and the bowling side that are there. Maybe we've not had the luck of bowling first, where you could bring whatever reverse swing or whatever there is in the drier conditions, um, but yeah, it's really been a bat-versus-bat contest, as Gautam [Gambhir] said," Sammy told ahead of the New Chandigarh encounter as quoted by India TV.

What did Sammy say about the pitch conditions?

Sammy acknowledged that every venue in the series has produced pitches that have got progressively better for batting. He noted that conditions under lights worsen further for bowlers, making it harder for his attack to build pressure. Despite this, he said the responsibility still falls on the bowling group to adapt and find ways to restrict the opposition.

"Yeah, well, by the look of things, every venue we go, the pitch gets better for batting. So, you know as professionals, you got to come out and do your job. You know, yes, let's say it's a 400 pitch. So, it is your job as the bowling group that means what? 400 is what, eight an over? So try to restrict the team seven and a half. Or even eight, you know, makes it par, then you give yourself a chance. If, when we bat we know the par is seven runs an over, then you get one scoring rate higher than that, so it is up to us to be a little bit more disciplined," Sammy added.

How does Sammy plan to challenge his bowlers going forward?

Sammy was candid about the fact that West Indies bowlers have not been as consistent as they could have been, even accounting for the favourable batting surfaces. He pointed out that the same pitch conditions apply to both bowling attacks and urged his group to find greater consistency in the third ODI.

West Indies will look to avoid a series whitewash in the third and final ODI, with Sammy's focus firmly on his bowlers producing a more disciplined performance regardless of the surface on offer.