"Lacked In Every Aspect": Ex-India Star Rips Into Shreyas Iyer And Co After 247-Run Hammering

Former India batter Mohammad Kaif launched a scathing assessment of Team India's performance after their shocking defeat to West Indies in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad on Wednesday. After winning the toss, India opted to bowl first, but the decision backfired as the West Indies batters dominated the hosts' bowling attack from the outset. The visitors piled up a daunting 247/3 in their 20 overs, with captain Shai Hope leading the charge with an unbeaten 102 off just 50 deliveries.

During the innings break, Kaif did not hold back in his criticism of Shreyas Iyer and the Indian bowlers, questioning their execution after several bowlers endured a difficult outing. Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel and Mayank Yadav were among those who proved expensive as India allowed West Indies to finish just short of the 250-run mark.

"The Indian bowling unit aren'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 on the field, which is how you concede nearly 250," said Kaif on Cricbuzz.

"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," he added.

Kaif even remarked that, even if India managed to chase down the target, the players would have little reason to be satisfied with their bowling performance.

"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 responded positively with the bat and put up a spirited fight in the chase. However, despite a strong effort from the batting unit, the hosts were restricted to 223 and fell 24 runs short of the target. 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.

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