'Just install a bowling machine': Chahal blasts flat pitches after West Indies chase down 250 in Ranchi

The target was 250. It was supposed to be a mountain. Instead, the West Indies strolled over it in 18.3 overs, and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has delivered the bluntest verdict yet on T20 cricket's shrinking contest between bat and ball: "Either you have to have something for the bowlers in the wicket, or else just install a bowling machine."

A chase that broke the balance

India posted a formidable 249/5 in the second T20I in Ranchi on Friday — a total that would have been match-winning on most grounds. But on a flat surface under heavy dew, Shai Hope smashed an unbeaten 102 off 45 balls and Sherfane Rutherford hammered 84 off 37 deliveries, their decisive 120-run partnership powering the West Indies to a six-wicket win that levelled the five-match T20I series at 1-1.

The ease of the chase reignited the debate over the growing dominance of batters in the shortest format, with recent IPL and international matches repeatedly highlighting the challenges faced by bowling attacks. Chahal, speaking to JioStar, said the balance between bat and ball has shifted significantly — and not in the bowlers' favour.

'What should bowlers do? What is the use of their skill?'

Reacting to the Ranchi contest, Chahal questioned the very conditions bowlers are being asked to operate in.

"On such wickets, there's nothing for the bowlers. When the ball gets old, there's dew, the ball comes nicely onto the bat, and the grounds are getting smaller. So, what should bowlers do? What is the use of their skill?"

Chahal called for better assistance for bowlers, warning that the growing imbalance could undermine the role of skill in T20 cricket altogether.

"So, either you have to have something for the bowlers in the wicket, or else just install a bowling machine," he added.

Chahal takes aim at IPL's Impact Player rule

The veteran spinner also pointed to the Indian Premier League, arguing that smaller grounds, flat pitches and the Impact Player rule have made it increasingly difficult for bowlers to make an impact. He recalled how totals of 170-180 were once considered competitive, while teams now regularly score at a far faster rate during the powerplay.

"I feel for them, because I am a bowler too and when I bowl in the IPL, on small grounds with flat wickets, you have an Impact Player as well. Earlier, when the Impact Player rule was not there, you used to see 50 runs in six overs, and 170-180 was a fighting total. But these days, 70-80 runs are scored in the first six overs, and the game is done there itself."

Gambhir backs bowlers, but wants answers

Chahal is not alone in his frustration. India coach Gautam Gambhir, in remarks reported by Cricbuzz on Saturday (October 10), also renewed his call for a better balance between bat and ball after West Indies hunted down a target of 250 in Ranchi — but insisted India must learn to defend totals in difficult conditions. Gambhir also backed young pacer Mayank Yadav's pace despite a costly dropped catch in the field.

Friday's meltdown was only the latest flashpoint in an increasingly lopsided contest between bat and ball on this tour. Earlier this month, on October 1, India chased down 406 against the West Indies in Guwahati — the second-biggest successful chase in one-day international history — after which coaches from both sides voiced sympathy for the bowlers, according to Cricbuzz. Gambhir declared "it's not cricket, it's batting," while India's Sitanshu Kotak and West Indies' Ravi Rampaul called for more balanced surfaces.

The road to Indore

India will look to bounce back in the third T20I in Indore on Sunday, with their bowling attack facing renewed scrutiny after the Ranchi defeat. Hope and Rutherford's onslaught underlined a stark new reality: even a total approaching 250 offers no safety in modern T20 cricket. Until conditions change, bowlers may continue to wonder what exactly their skill is for.