Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar didn’t mince words while assessing the West Indies’ performance in the Ahmedabad Test, branding their bowling attack — barring Jayden Seales — as “trundlers” and “net bowlers.” His blunt remarks came after India crushed the visitors by an innings and 140 runs, exposing the stark decline of West Indies cricket from its glorious past.

West Indies were bowled out for just 162 in their first innings, with India’s pace duo Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah wreaking havoc. In response, India piled up 448/5 before declaring and once again skittled the tourists for 146, wrapping up the game inside two and a half days. Gavaskar, writing for Sportstar, expressed disbelief at the lack of firepower in the Caribbean pace unit.

“Apart from Jayden Seales, the others were merely trundlers — more like net bowlers than international pacers,” Sunil Gavaskar remarked. “No disrespect, but when the first bouncer comes after six overs, you can’t help but wonder — is this really the West Indies pace attack? Bowling bouncers takes effort, yes, but it’s a vital weapon to keep batters honest.”

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Sunil Gavaskar further lamented the steep decline in West Indies batting standards, noting that none of the current players come close to the legends who once defined Caribbean cricket.

“This team used to produce giants — the Three Ws, Rohan Kanhai, Seymour Nurse, Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes. Today, no one looks capable of reaching even a fraction of their level,” he wrote.

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He also paid tribute to icons like Garfield Sobers, Viv Richards, and Brian Lara — calling them “geniuses born once in a century.” Gavaskar’s comments underline a painful truth: the West Indies, once feared for their dominance and flair, now struggle for relevance in Test cricket. India and West Indies are set to clash again in the second Test in New Delhi from October 10–14.