Former India batter Mohammed Kaif has raised serious concerns about India’s bowling after their 24-run defeat to the West Indies in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad. Kaif criticised the team’s plans, execution and fielding, warning that India cannot win a World Cup with the current bowling combination.
West Indies posted a huge 247/3 in 20 overs, powered by captain Shai Hope’s unbeaten 102. India struggled to control the scoring throughout the innings and eventually finished at 223, handing the visitors a 24-run victory and bringing the five-match series level at 2-2.
Mohammed Kaif questions India’s bowling plans
Kaif felt India failed to follow the basics and did not make the most of the conditions in Hyderabad. He also pointed out that the team’s problems were not limited to one match, with the bowlers struggling to contain opposition batters during the series.
“The Indian bowling unit isn’t even able to do the basics right. This entire series, even in the ODIs, they’ve struggled to complete their overs on time. The fielding hasn’t helped this inexperienced bowling attack. So, India lacked in every aspect of the field, which is how you conceded nearly 250.
“India’s bowling plans were poor for this surface. In Hyderabad, the slow bouncer is the most effective delivery. Think of how many batters Pat Cummins dismissed using the square boundaries with that delivery. India missed a trick by not using the slower bouncer,” Kaif said on Cricbuzz.
The former India batter also stressed that the team needed to improve its fielding and over-rate, along with its bowling tactics.
Kaif says India cannot win World Cup with current attack
Kaif was not convinced that India could ignore these issues even if they managed to win the match. He said the bowling unit needed to take greater responsibility instead of leaving the batters to do most of the work.
“Even if India wins this match, they can’t be happy. Because none of their problems have been rectified, be it bowling, catching, or bowling on time. And the West Indies is a lower-ranked team. This is not Australia or England with great players smashing India. Indian fans will be worried about the bowling,” said Kaif.
India’s bowlers conceded 247 runs against West Indies, with Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel among those who had an expensive outing.
Kaif recalls India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph
Kaif also pointed to India’s successful 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, when contributions came from both the batting and bowling units. He highlighted the importance of having experienced bowlers who can deliver under pressure.
“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.
“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 realize that not all batters will perform on the same day. But today, Sanju Samson played well,” he added.
With the series level at 2-2, India will need to address their bowling and fielding concerns before the final T20I in Bengaluru.
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