‘Batting till eighth is not bravery’: Former India batsman slams Shreyas Iyer’s team selection

Indian cricket team (PTI Photo) Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif questioned the Indian team’s combination after Shreyas Iyer and his side suffered a 24-run defeat to the West Indies in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad, arguing that the management prioritized batting depth over a stronger bowling attack.India went into the match with four specialist bowlers and two all-rounders, but the combination could not contain the West Indies batting, who amassed 247/3 in their 20 overs. The home side responded with an aggressive batting effort but managed only 223 before being dismissed, allowing the visitors to level the five-match series at 2-2.Kaif felt India’s selection did not suit the conditions and said the team needed to rely on specialist bowlers rather than expecting its batting line-up to compensate for the lack of bowling options.“Batting at No. 8 is not courage. Courage is playing the right bowlers on good wickets. A brave attempt is when you pick seven batsmen and five right bowlers, including Axar Patel as an all-rounder. Bravery is not allowing the opposition to score 250 and then say we will catch up. If you win so many main bowlers, you have to play with five bowlers.” conditions, the more specialist bowlers should play,” Kaif said on Cricbuzz.India’s struggles with the ball have been evident throughout the series. They failed to defend the target of 250 in the second T20I, while they conceded 209 in the third match despite securing a 14-run win. The latest defeat further highlighted their efforts to limit the West Indies batting line-up.Kaif also questioned India’s decision to drop Kuldeep Yadav, claiming that the left-armer could have offered a valuable wicket option on the Hyderabad surface. He suggested that India should have considered sacrificing the extra batter to improve the balance of the side.“I would play Kuldeep Yadav. Rashid Khan has made a name for himself only on this Hyderabad track. The top 4 in the ICC rankings are all leg-spinners. So on a flat track, Kuldeep Yadav would be even more useful,” he said.Kaif added that the pitch conditions could have played in Kuldeep’s favour, with changes in pace and extra bounce that could trouble the opposition for the spinner.“Just a change of pace and an extra bounce from the Hyderabad pitch would have helped him. India could have easily dropped the batting and picked a different bowler,” he added.The series is now tied at 2-2, leaving both teams with one game to decide the outcome. The fifth and final T20I will be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.

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