India’s bowling plans have come under scrutiny after their 24-run defeat to the West Indies in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad, with former India pacer Varun Aaron questioning the team management’s decision to leave specialist wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav out of the playing XI.
Aaron, who is also the bowling coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad, felt that the conditions at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium were suited to an additional spinner and that Kuldeep could have made a significant difference for the hosts. India stuck with an unchanged XI for the contest, but their bowling attack struggled to contain the West Indies, who posted 247 for three before restricting the hosts to 223 for nine.
IND vs WI 4TH T20I: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
“Ultimately, poor bowling plans and a lack of batting awareness cost India the game again. India should have played an extra spinner. Kuldeep should have played on this wicket,” Aaron said on JioHotstar.
The surface in Hyderabad was not the flat track many had anticipated. The relaid pitch offered some assistance to the bowlers, with deliveries occasionally holding up during both innings. The lack of dew also meant conditions could have favoured a wrist-spinner, strengthening the argument for Kuldeep’s inclusion.
MOTIE’S ROLE IN HYDERABAD
India went into the fourth T20I with Axar Patel and Naman Dhir as their only spin options. Axar returned figures of 1/45, dismissing West Indies opener Jewel Andrew in the powerplay, while Naman conceded 19 runs in his brief spell. Neither was able to exert sustained pressure on the visitors.
West Indies, meanwhile, had two effective spin options in Gudakesh Motie and Roston Chase, both of whom played important roles in the victory.
Chase has been effective in keeping Abhishek Sharma quiet throughout the series. In Hyderabad, however, Sanju Samson took on much of the responsibility during the powerplay, allowing Abhishek fewer opportunities to dominate the innings.
Motie proved particularly influential, turning the game in West Indies’ favour during a crucial phase of India’s chase. The left-arm spinner dismissed Abhishek and Naman off consecutive deliveries in the same over, dealing India a significant blow as they attempted to chase down the imposing target.
Aaron pointed to the West Indies spinners’ ability to vary their pace and exploit the conditions as evidence of what India could have achieved with another specialist option.
“We saw how Motie bowled, varying his pace, and even Roston Chase bowled really well today, apart from that one over. On a wicket like this, with these boundary dimensions, Kuldeep would have been India’s point of difference,” he said.
BOWLING PLANS UNDER SCRUTINY
Beyond the team combination, India’s execution with the ball was another major concern. Most of the Indian bowlers struggled to contain the scoring, with Mayank Yadav and Arshdeep Singh conceding 52 runs apiece. The hosts failed to consistently hit the right lengths or create enough uncertainty for the West Indies batters.
The defeat has left India with little room for error heading into the series decider. With the five-match contest level at 2-2, the teams will meet in Bengaluru on Saturday, where India’s bowling strategy and team selection are likely to attract renewed attention.
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