Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has hit out at the team management’s selection strategy after India fell to a 24-run defeat against West Indies in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Kaif was critical of India’s decision to give more impetus to their batting depth and not worry much about their bowling strength, which has been a major concern in the ongoing series.
India headed into the fourth T20I with a lineup that featured four frontline bowlers and two all-rounders. As the match progressed, India came under massive pressure, with West Indies piling up a humongous total of 247/3 in 20 overs following a brutal assault from Shai Hope, who smashed a baling century. Chasing the target, India fought hard, but they only managed to score 223, paving the way for West Indies to secure a thumping win and level the series 2-2.
“The truth here as to why the Indian team lost is because of their bowling. The blame should fall on them. 247 is a lot of runs. We lost because we bowled badly. There were too many runs on the board. Also, this is not happening for the first time. What happens in a five-match series is that usually batters win you three games, and bowlers win you the other matches. Here, bowlers are not winning you games at all. You will never win the World Cup with this combination,” Mohammad Kaif said on Cricbuzz.
India’s defeat in Hyderabad was not the first setback for Indian bowlers because they faced the similar challenge in the second T20I, when India failed to defend a target of 250 against the West Indies. Meanwhile, Kaif underlined the importance of having a balanced attack, which was quite evident at the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“If you remember the 2024 T20 World Cup, everybody contributed there. Jasprit Bumrah was there; Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav were there too. The batters were there too. Some people might say Abhishek Sharma played slowly, but one has to realise that not all batters will perform on the same day. But today, Sanju Samson played well,” Kaif said.