Former Indian pacer Varun Aaron was disappointed that the Indian team management did not include the veteran wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the fourth T20I against the West Indies on Wednesday, October 14.
While Kuldeep scalped two wickets in the first T20I of the five-match series, he couldn’t create an impact in the second T20I, conceding 53 runs in his four-over spell as the West Indies chased down the 250-run target in Ranchi.
Speaking to JioHotstar after India’s 24-run loss to the visitors at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, the former seamer believed that India should have gone ahead with one extra specialist spinner in their XI.
“Ultimately, poor bowling plans and a lack of batting awareness cost India the game again. India should have played an extra spinner. Kuldeep should have played on this wicket,” Aaron said on JioHotstar.
Further, Aaron hailed West Indies left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, who scalped two consecutive wickets of Abhishek Sharma and Naman Dhir to turn the game in their favour in the second innings, highlighting that Kuldeep’s presence would’ve tilted the result in India’s favour.
“We saw how Motie bowled, varying his pace, and even Roston Chase bowled really well today, apart from that one over. On a wicket like this, with these boundary dimensions, Kuldeep would have been India’s point of difference,” he said.
Batting first, the West Indies posted a daunting total of 247/3 in 20 overs, courtesy of Shai Hope’s unbeaten 102 off 50 with four fours and nine sixes at a strike rate of 204. Barring Prince Yadav, all Indian bowlers conceded more than 11 runs per over.
In response, India could score 223 before getting bundled out in 19.3 overs. Sanju Samson (56), Tilak Varma (43) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (41) were decent enough, but couldn’t take the side over the line. WI pacer Keemo Paul picked up a fifer.
