Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif has raised concerns over India’s T20I combination after the team suffered a 24-run defeat to the West Indies in Hyderabad on Wednesday, blaming the bowling attack for failing to contain the visitors in the fourth match of the five-game series.
West Indies captain Shai Hope continued his remarkable run against India, scoring a century to power his side to 247/3 in 20 overs. India fell short in the chase, finishing at 223 all out as the visitors levelled the series 2-2 ahead of Saturday’s decider in Bengaluru.
Kaif criticised India’s bowling unit, arguing that the team’s current combination would struggle to deliver when it matters most at a World Cup.
“The truth here as to why the Indian team lost is because of their bowling. The blame should go to them. 247 is a lot of runs. We lost because we bowled badly. There were too many runs on the board,” Kaif said on Cricbuzz.
He added that India’s bowlers had repeatedly failed to win matches during the series, leaving the batters with too much to do.
“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,” he said.
India’s frontline pace options endured a difficult evening in Hyderabad. Mayank Yadav and Arshdeep Singh conceded a combined 104 runs in eight overs, while Axar Patel gave away 45 runs in his four overs. Prince Yadav was the most economical among India’s bowlers to take a wicket, finishing with figures of 1/36.
The performance added to concerns about India’s ability to defend large totals and restrict opposition batters in high-scoring T20 matches. Hope’s century gave the West Indies a commanding platform, and India were left chasing a target that required a sustained effort throughout the innings.
Captain Shreyas Iyer also acknowledged that the damage had been done with the ball, particularly during the opening overs.
“It all started with bowling. I think we didn’t execute our line lengths well,” Iyer said after the match. He added that chasing such a large total required a particular pattern of scoring, and felt India had fallen short because they could not execute their plans with the ball.
India now have one match remaining to take the series, but Kaif’s criticism raises a wider question about whether the current bowling combination has the consistency required to succeed at the highest level.
