'Not A Bravery': Ex-India Star's Brutal Take On Shreyas Iyer And Co After Loss vs WI

Former India batter Mohammad Kaif criticised Shreyas Iyer and Co. for their team selection following India's defeat to West Indies in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Kaif questioned the team management's decision to field a batting-heavy playing XI at the expense of strengthening the bowling attack. India went into the match with just four specialist bowlers and two all-rounders, a combination that proved costly as they conceded a massive 247/3 in 20 overs. In reply, the hosts mounted a spirited challenge with the bat but ultimately fell short, finishing on 223 and suffering a 24-run defeat.

India's bowling has been a major concern throughout the ongoing five-match series. In the second T20I, the hosts failed to defend a target of 250, while in the third match they conceded 209 runs, despite going on to register a 14-run victory. Kaif criticised the team management for not selecting the playing XI according to the conditions on offer.

"Having batting till No.8 is not bravery. Bravery is playing your proper bowlers on a good batting wicket. A brave call is one where you pick seven batters and five proper bowlers, including Axar Patel as the all-rounder. Bravery is not allowing the opposition to score 250 and then saying we'll chase it down. If you actually play with five main bowlers, you won't need to chase so many. The flatter the conditions, the more specialist bowlers should play," Kaif said on Cricbuzz.

The former India batter also spoke about the omission of left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, suggesting that the spinner should have been included in the side, even if it meant leaving out an additional batter. Kaif argued that Kuldeep's experience and wicket-taking ability could have provided India with a better balance and a stronger bowling attack against the West Indies batting line-up.

"I would have played Kuldeep Yadav. Rashid Khan made a name for himself on this Hyderabad track only. The top 4 in the ICC rankings are all leg-spinners. So on a flat track, Kuldeep Yadav would have been even more useful," he said.

"Just the change of pace and the extra bounce from the Hyderabad pitch would have assisted him. India could have easily dropped a batter and picked another bowler," he added.

With the victory, West Indies levelled the five-match T20I series 2-2, setting up a series decider in the final match. The series finale match will be played on Saturday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Featured Video Of The Day

India Ends CWG Boxing Campaign With Record-Breaking Seven Gold Medals