Cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar has urged the Indian batters to take greater responsibility while chasing big totals after their 24-run defeat against West Indies in the fourth T20I at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
India had a target of 248 runs but managed only 223 before being bowled out. Despite Sanju Samson’s quickfire half-century, the hosts failed to keep up with the required run rate as Keemo Paul picked up five wickets to guide the West Indies to victory.
With the win, the visitors levelled the five-match series 2-2, setting up a series decider in Bengaluru on October 17.
Sunil Gavaskar Questions India’s Batting Approach
Gavaskar believes India’s batting unit needs to show more responsibility when chasing challenging totals. He said the team cannot expect to succeed if its batters fail to make the most of their opportunities.
“The first thing this Indian side needs to improve is how they chase. The batting unit needs to show more responsibility. If the batters don’t take responsibility, this Indian side will not succeed,” Gavaskar told JioStar.
The former India captain also pointed out that the conditions in Hyderabad were favourable for batting, particularly with dew coming into play. He felt India should have shown greater control during the chase.
“On a pitch like this, with the dew coming in, you have to show the kind of dominance with the bat that a back-to-back T20 World Cup-winning team should, but that was missing completely in this game,” he added.
Gavaskar Criticises Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan And Shreyas Iyer
India got off to a promising start through Samson, who scored 56 off just 23 balls. However, the other batters failed to build on that momentum, allowing the West Indies to regain control of the match.
Gavaskar said the Indian batting line-up wasted a good opportunity after Samson’s aggressive start. He also pointed to the performances of Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and captain Shreyas Iyer.
“Sanju gave India a great start, but the rest of the batters didn’t capitalise at all. Abhishek Sharma played a poor knock, which is not acceptable by his standards.
“Ishan Kishan fell right into Keemo Paul’s trap, and Shreyas Iyer has not got going since his hundred,” he said.
India needed its middle order to maintain the momentum after Samson’s dismissal, but regular wickets made the chase increasingly difficult. Keemo Paul’s five-wicket haul further dented the hosts’ hopes of reaching the target.
Sunil Gavaskar Defends India’s Inexperienced Bowlers
While Gavaskar was critical of India’s batting performance, he offered a different perspective on the bowling attack, which conceded 247 runs in 20 overs.
The 77-year-old acknowledged that India’s bowlers had struggled but said their lack of international experience should also be considered. He believes such challenges are part of their learning process.
“Yes, I know the bowling has been poor, but these bowlers are not experienced. They are new to international cricket, and they will need to get hit for boundaries, otherwise they will not learn,” he said.
India And West Indies Set For Series Decider In Bengaluru
West Indies captain Shai Hope once again led from the front, scoring his second century of the series to help his team post 247/3. The visitors then restricted India to 223 to secure a 24-run victory.
With the series level at 2-2, both teams will now turn their attention to the fifth and final T20I at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on October 17.