Sunil Gavaskar questions India’s tactics following T20I loss to West Indies

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Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar believes India made a tactical blunder by entrusting spinner Kuldeep Yadav with the vital 17th over rather than calling upon speedsters Mayank Yadav or Arshdeep Singh during the high-scoring second T20I in Ranchi, which West Indies won by six wickets to tie the five-match series 1-1.

Kuldeep proved costly, leaking 24 runs in a decisive over featuring three sixes, a boundary, and a wide, shifting the momentum firmly toward the visitors in their massive pursuit of 250.

Arshdeep took the ball for the 18th over but failed to stop the runs, conceding 17 to Shai Hope and Romario Shepherd. The visitors then wrapped up the match in the 19th over, hitting Axar Patel for two sixes to complete the win.

“Definitely! I would have gone with either Arshdeep or Mayank (in the 17th over). Yes, Arshdeep Singh went for plenty in his final over (18th over), but Mayank had struck the early blows. Of the wickets that had fallen, he had taken three,” Gavaskar told JioStar.

Mayank should have bowled one more over, says Gavaskar

“His (Mayank) economy rate was about 12 an over, and at that stage, the West Indies needed more than that. So, if he had taken a wicket, and sometimes when the game is going in your favour, who knows, you would have got a wicket even if it had not been off a great delivery,” Gavaskar added.

Mayank had one over remaining when Iyer turned to Kuldeep Yadav. The young express pacer had previously broken through the Caribbean top order, taking out Kamil Pooran (0), Shimron Hetmyer (4), and Rovman Powell (24) to reduce the visitors to 58/3 by the sixth over.

Gavaskar emphasised that another breakthrough from Mayank could have derailed the run chase completely.

“And once you get a wicket, suddenly, the opposition is on the back foot. A new batter has to come in. So, maybe that (bringing in Mayank) could have been tried. For me, I think giving Shivam Dube the ball in that ninth over was not exactly what was required at that stage. When the batters were still trying to get their eye in, maybe Kuldeep coming in would have been a better idea,” Gavaskar stated, highlighting another bowling option.

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