Shreyas Iyer explains to Indian team how to overcome difficulties in the series against New Zealand

In the fourth T20 match between India and West Indies, held at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on October 14, West Indies initially posted a substantial total of 247/3, thanks to the performance of Shai Hope, who scored 102 runs off 50 balls. Consequently, the Indian team needed to chase a target of 248 runs.

The start of the game was promising for India: the team scored 60 runs in just 4.1 overs. However, a major setback soon occurred, leading to the dismissal of Sandeep Samson, who had shown a bright innings by scoring 56 runs off 23 balls.

Midway through the innings, the Indian team faced a series of setbacks. After Naman Dheer was dismissed, the team's score reached 130/5 by the 11.4 over, which seemed to predetermine the Indian squad's defeat, given the need to defend a large total.

Following Naman Dheer's exit, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Tilak Verma came to bat. Notably, Tilak Verma is from Hyderabad and plays for the Hyderabad team in domestic cricket, while Nitish plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. Thus, two players connected to Hyderabad were on the field.

The situation could have turned in India's favor. After 16 overs, the Indian team had a score of 189/5, and only 59 runs were needed in the next 24 balls to win. It seemed that chasing this target was quite achievable. In the 15th over, Nitish Kumar scored 21 runs against Shamra Joseph.

Romario Shepherd bowled the 16th over. Tilak hit a six on the first delivery. This was followed by one untouched ball, and then Tilak scored one run. The subsequent ball was a wide, and on the fourth legal delivery, Nitish scored one run. On the fifth delivery, Tilak Verma added two runs, but on the sixth delivery of the same over, Tilak Verma (with a score of 43 runs off 25 balls) was dismissed. After this, the score stood at 48 runs for 18 balls.

Shamr Springer bowled the 18th over, in which 5 runs were scored. This over increased the pressure on the Indian team, and Springer once again demonstrated his usefulness towards the end of the match.

Subsequently, in the 19th over, Kim Paul consecutively dismissed Nitish Kumar (41 runs off 20 balls) and Prince Yadav (0). On the fifth ball of the 19th over, Axar Patel (3) was also dismissed. As a result, the Indian team's score was 213/9. Kim Paul also completed his fifth wicket.

Overall, Tilak's dismissal, Shamr Springer's 18th over, and Kim Paul's bowling played a small pivotal role that allowed West Indies to win the match by 24 runs and level the series at 2-2. The next decisive match out of five is scheduled for Saturday in Bengaluru.

This marked the first time West Indies had defeated India on Indian soil, defending their T20I count, whereas the previous six attempts had been unsuccessful. Furthermore, it was the second-highest total ever scored by India while batting second in a T20I; previously, in 2016 against the same team in Lodderhill, India lost by 1 run, having scored 244/4.

A Doha by Rahim is cited, which states: 'Without water, everything is empty,' where the word 'water' is used in three meanings: humility towards a person, brilliance for a pearl, and water itself for flour. Rahim asserts that just as the existence of the world depends on flour, and the value of a pearl depends on its luster, so too does a person's worth depend on their modesty, and therefore a person should always maintain humility in their behavior.

The meaning of this Doha can be transformed into the phrase: 'Without Bumrah in the Indian team, everything is empty.' This thought completely aligns with reality, as the absence of Jasprit Bumrah in the Indian squad obviously creates a vacuum in the bowling attack group.

Jasprit Bumrah is a bowler in the Indian squad capable of changing the course of a match even in the most difficult circumstances. Regardless of whether the pitch is flat, whether the batter plays aggressively, or whether runs are scored quickly, Bumrah troubles opponents with his precise line, length, and various variations of delivery.

The recent ODI series against West Indies once again raised this issue. Other fast bowlers, such as Gurunoor Barar and Akib Nabi, struggled with containing the run rate. Furthermore, despite a huge score of 250 runs in the second T20 International, the Indian team failed to defend it; after a good batting performance, the bowlers could not make an impact at a critical moment.

Statistics also confirm the problems without Bumrah. During this year in T20 Internationals, Bumrah took 23 wickets in 17 matches, becoming India's most successful bowler. With his participation, the team took 128 wickets in 17 matches, with an average bowling figure of 21.49 and an economy rate of 8.62.

Conversely, in 16 matches without Bumrah, Indian bowlers took 90 wickets. During this period, the average bowling figure rose to 27.84, and the economy rate was 9.16. The situation in ODIs is also worrying: in 10 matches played without Bumrah this year, Indian bowlers took 66 wickets, with an average of 44.83 and an economy rate of 6.43. These figures cast doubt on whether the fast bowling attack of India is overly dependent on one player.

Questions about bowling quality are also troubling A R Ashwin, a former Indian spinner. After the team failed to defend 250 runs in the second T20 against West Indies, he expressed concern over the quality of bowling in the country. He believes that insufficient attention is paid to the preparation of high-class bowlers in the country.

Ashwin noted that Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav have benefited from Bumrah having a bowler who can stop the scoring when necessary and deceive batters with slower balls. In Ashwin's opinion, not every bowler possesses such talent, and he is concerned about the future of Indian bowling.

Former coach of the Indian team's bowling, Bharat Arun, analyzed this problem for 'India Today'. According to him, this challenge has two important aspects: workload management and the ability to utilize skills correctly under pressure. Injuries to India's fast bowlers question the management of their physical fitness. Bumrah himself faced fitness-related issues. Questions also arose about how to manage young fast bowlers like Harshit Rana and Mayank Yadav in the High Performance Centre. There is a fear that some players might return to the field before full recovery, leading to re-injury.

However, according to Arun, workload management does not simply mean keeping bowlers away from matches. It is important that they are fully prepared and fit when they play. Arun emphasized that physiotherapists, strength and conditioning coaches, bowling coaches, and team management are all involved in this process. They must work together to ensure that the bowler takes the field fully ready and energetic.

Arun disagreed with the assertion about a lack of talent among India's fast bowlers. He cited bowlers such as Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Venkatesh Prasad, Javagal Srinath, and Irfan Pathan, arguing that India has always had good fast bowlers. In his view, physical condition plays a decisive role in a fast bowler's skills, and maintaining long-term fitness is a major challenge for the team. Thus, the problem lies not only in preparing new bowlers but also in maintaining their physical form and ensuring a consistently high level of play.

The Indian team must find solutions before the World Cup, considering that they have effective bowlers like Arshdeep Singh, but the presence of several good names is not enough to build a strong bowling attack; the other fast bowlers must also take responsibility.

The third match of the five-match T20 tournament between India and West Indies will take place on October 11th at Holkar Stadium in Indore. The game is scheduled to start at 19:00 Indian time. This match could be decisive for the series, which has reached a tense point.

After the second T20, which ended with West Indies defeating India by 6 wickets, the series is tied at 1-1. The team, led by Shreyas Iyer, aims to win the upcoming confrontation.

The debut of 15-year-old young batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi at home ground is also being actively discussed, but his participation seems unlikely for now. Head coach Gautam Gambhir previously stated after the second T20 that the team might make adjustments to the middle order depending on circumstances, while wanting to maintain stability in the top order. Therefore, it is likely difficult to rule out the duo of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, who are currently in good form, and the management will likely give them more opportunities. This means Vaibhav will have to wait.

Regarding the squad, Indian players who played in Ranchi were unable to effectively contain the aggressive batsmen of the West Indies. Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Naman Diar proved very costly in the match. In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Mayank Yadav are expected to retain their positions. However, Shivam Dube's performance in the second T20 was not outstanding, so there is a possibility of including Nitish Kumar Reddy instead of him in the starting XI. Nevertheless, the final decision will be made considering the pitch conditions and team strategy.

For their part, the West Indies team under the leadership of Guy Holder may refrain from significant changes to their starting lineup after the victory. In Ranchi, the team scored 250 runs, leaving nine wickets in hand. The brilliant play of Guy Holder and Sherfane Rutherford exposed weaknesses in the Indian bowling. The task for the West Indies is to maintain this aggressive momentum. Thus, for India, the challenge is not only to score a high total in attack but also to demonstrate better control in defense.

A possible Indian lineup for the third T20 includes: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (as wicketkeeper-batsman), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Diar, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mayank Yadav.

The projected West Indies lineup for the third T20: Guy Holder (captain/wicketkeeper-batsman), Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Gudakesh Motie, Shar Springer, Akil Hussain, and Shar Joseph.

The Indian squad includes: Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (as wicketkeeper-batsman), Shreyas Iyer (captain), Ishan Kishan, Tilak Verma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Diar, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, and Kuldeep Yadav.