Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 15 (ANI): Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expressed his shock over the omission of Kuldeep Yadav from the playing eleven of the fourth T20I against West Indies, saying that the struggles of Windies batters against his googlies and leg-spin “would have made a difference of 15-20 runs”.
Shai Hope and his men rained fours and sixes against Indian pace during the fourth T20I, scoring a massive 247/3, which proved to be a massive chase for India, who spent most of the time playing the catch-up game instead of dominating. Kuldeep, who took 2/33 in the first T20I but had an off-colour outing with 1/53 against the Men in Maroon at Ranchi where they chased down a record 250 runs, Kuldeep found himself omitted from the playing XI. Instead, it was all-rounder Naman Dhir who acted as the second spin option alongside an experienced Axar Patel, with India opting for more pace in their weaponry.
Naman has done a fine job as the spinner in the series, taking five wickets in four matches at an average of 22.80, India missed the experience and big-match presence of Kuldeep, who has had a productive white-ball series against West Indies so far, with 10 wickets across five matches, including chart-topping seven wickets in three ODIs with a four-wicket haul.
Speaking on his channel ‘Ash ki Baat’, Ashwin said that while the track at Hyderabad was not exactly going to be friendly for spinners, the move to not include Kuldeep showed “lack of common sense”.
“It is very surprising because, on a ground where you expect to get some bounce, I know it has not always been a happy hunting ground for spinners, but the West Indies batters are struggling to pick his googly and leg-spin. So, if you are leaving Kuldeep out against them, it lacks a bit of common sense. It is very surprising because I think his presence could have made a difference of 15-20 runs,” he said.
“I was surprised. Kuldeep was not picked in Indore (where India defended 223 runs successfully), and I would still endorse that decision because I can understand that the ground is small. But you are almost making an issue out of it by suggesting that India’s loss in Ranchi was because of Kuldeep. That, in itself, is wrong,” he added.
In 56 T20Is, Kuldeep has taken 98 wickets at an average of 14.20 and an economy rate of 7.10, including three four-fers and two five-fors, with best figures of 5/17. This year in six T20Is, he has managed eight wickets at an average of 25.75 and an economy rate of 9.36, with best figures of 2/33.
With this win, the series is level 2-2, with an exciting decider at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru set for October 17.
While Hope (102* off 50 balls, with four boundaries and nine sixes) registered his fourth century of the India tour, including his second in the T20I leg, Keemo (5/41) got crucial wickets right from the start. For WI, Shimron Hetmyer (33 in 12 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Sherfane Rutherford (49* in 26 balls, with six fours and three sixes) also contributed important knocks with the bat, taking them to 247/3.
After a fifty from Sanju Samson (56 in 22 balls, with six fours and four sixes), India found themselves playing the catch-up game. A 70-run stand between Tilak Varma (43 off 25 balls, with two fours and three sixes) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (41 in 20 balls, with a four and four sixes) gave India hope; India’s hopes were dimmed with their dismissals. Arshdeep Singh retired hurt in the middle of the final over after a hit on his arm, leaving India 25 runs short of the target. (ANI)
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