KL Rahul dismissed hit wicket for India-A in New Zealand tour

In the fourth T20 match between India and West Indies, held in Hyderabad on Wednesday (October 14), the bowling tactics of West Indies bowler Shamir Joseph caused significant controversy. West Indies won the match by 24 runs, leveling the series at 2-2.

Sriwats Goswami, a former cricketer from Bengal, expressed dissatisfaction with Joseph's actions in the final over against Arshdeep Singh. He stated that instead of targeting Arshdeep Singh's body, Joseph should have bowled to the stumps, especially when India's chances of winning were virtually gone.

India needed to score 35 runs in the last over while having only one remaining batting wicket. Arshdeep Singh was batting, and Maink Yadav was at the opposite end. Under these conditions, a West Indies victory was considered highly probable. Shamir Joseph used short balls against Arshdeep in this over; one such delivery hit the Indian fast bowler's shoulder and arm, causing Arshdeep to fall on the field and requiring a physiotherapist.

After a short break, Arshdeep Singh resumed play, but Joseph continued to use short deliveries. Following this, India's captain, Shreyas Iyer, indicated that Arshdeep should be declared injured, thus ending the Indian innings. Goswami reiterated his indignation regarding Joseph's conduct, writing: 'What Shamir Joseph did on the last three balls against Arshdeep contradicts the spirit of sportsmanship.'

Sriwats Goswami acknowledged that international cricket is an extremely competitive sport, but in his opinion, the bowler always had another option in such a situation. He emphasized that Joseph could have bowled to the stumps instead of constantly aiming short balls at the batsman's body. His comments drew attention to Joseph's strategy in the final over, although this remains Goswami's personal opinion.

Overall, West Indies, having lost the toss and batting first, scored 247 runs, losing three wickets. In response, the Indian team managed to reach 223 runs but ultimately lost the match by 24 runs. This victory allowed the visiting team to level the series at 2-2. Shamir Joseph is known for his fast bowling and regularly bowls at speeds exceeding 140 kilometers per hour.

The fourth match of the five-match T20I series between India and West Indies will take place in Hyderabad on Wednesday, October 14. The Indian team leads the series 2-1, and after winning the third match in Indore, the team aims to strengthen its advantage. Meanwhile, the West Indies team is trying to get back into the game and level the score.

In the presumed starting lineup for India, Sanju Samson might start alongside Abhishek Sharma. In that case, young player Vaibhav Suryavanshi is likely to remain on the bench again. Sanju will also play as a batter-bowler. Ishan Kishan could feature at number three in the attack, and captain Shreyas Iyer at number four.

Tilak Verma, Naman Dheer, and Nitish Kumar Reddy are expected to bolster the middle order. This match will be particularly important for Tilak, as he is a local resident of Hyderabad. Regarding bowling, Axar Patel might play alongside Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, and Arshdeep Singh. The decision made in Indore to bring in an extra fast bowler instead of Kuldeep Yadav might be retained by the coaching staff. Thus, Vaibhav is likely to sit on the bench again, and Sanju Samson will start the game once more.

The pitch in Hyderabad is known for producing big scores. Over the last two years in the IPL, scores such as 310, 297, 286, and 277 have been recorded here. Four of the top eight scores in T20 cricket in India were achieved on this very ground. Although the pitch has recently been restored, batters still have good chances of scoring runs.

The situation for bowlers might become complicated if dew falls. According to meteorological department forecasts, there is no probability of the match being washed out due to rain. In six matches played in this tour, only one was won by the defending team. India achieved such a result in Indore.

The team hopes the pitch will offer some assistance to the bowlers so that even if they lose the toss and have to bat first, they can defend their score.

An exciting confrontation is anticipated in this match between Abhishek Sharma and West Indies spinner Roston Chase. Chase played a crucial role in the victory over India in Ranchi. He took wickets from Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Shreyas Iyer. He uses a hard length and yorker, bowling over the top against left-handed batters.

Nevertheless, in Indore, Abhishek brilliantly countered Chase. After checking the ball in the first over, he occupied his position and hit two sixteenths and one fourth off Chase's deliveries. Against Chase, Abhishek scored 25 runs off 13 balls, losing his wicket twice. Hyderabad is Abhishek's home IPL ground.

Abhishek is the batter who fastest reached 2000 runs in T20 International, achieving it in 1024 balls and breaking the previous record of 1164 balls.

Furthermore, Naman Dheer has five international wickets, all taken immediately after the sixteenth over.

The West Indies team will be concerned about the condition of Romario Shepherd, who sustained an injury during the Ranchi game. Although he played in that game, he was excluded from the squad in Indore. In Ranchi, he scored 34 not out runs off 13 balls.

Presumed West Indies squad: Shy Hope (bowler, captain), Kamil Purran, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd/Quentin Samson, Roston Chase, Sharf Springer, Kimo Paul, Sharf Joseph, and Gudakesh Motie.

Presumed India squad: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (bowler), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Verma, Naman Dheer, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, and Arshdeep Singh.

New Zealand has announced the squads for its five-match ODI series against India, which begins on November 4th. The New Zealand Cricket (NZC) organization presented the player lists, featuring athletes such as Finn Allen, Loki Ferguson, Rachin Ravindra, and Tim Seifert. However, it should be noted that these four players will not be available for the entire series.

NZC formed two separate squads for the five ODIs, meaning there will be changes in the team composition throughout the series. The reason for this decision is also preparation for the upcoming two-match Test series, which will start shortly after the conclusion of the ODI tournament. The New Zealand team management aims to prepare some players for the Test matches in advance by withdrawing them from the ODI squad.

A squad of 14 players was selected for the first three ODIs. In addition to captain Michael Santner, this squad included Michael Bresshaw, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Df, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, and Will Young.

Rachin Ravindra, who previously could not participate in the T20 International series against India due to a shoulder injury, will now return to the ODI squad and can play in the first three matches. He is expected to contribute in both batting and bowling. For the fourth and fifth ODIs, NZC chose a different team, which will feature Finn Allen and Tim Seifert, known for their aggressive style in T20. Allen and Loki Ferguson played for New Zealand in the last ODI of 2023, and Seifert last played in 50 overs in the home series against Pakistan about eighteen months ago.

The team selected for the last two matches also includes Santner, Bresshaw, Chapman, Jacob Df, Blair Tickner, and Will Young. Additionally, Christian Clark, Matt Fisher, Mitch Heap, and Nick Kelly were included, giving the team an opportunity to test the depth of its squad in the final two ODIs.

The series between India and New Zealand extends beyond just bilateral encounters, as both teams will also consider preparations for the upcoming Cricket World Cup 2027, which will take place in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Consequently, defining player roles and forming a strong squad is extremely important for the team management.

New Zealand coach Rob Walter noted that playing at home against such a strong team as India presents a great opportunity. He emphasized that with the World Cup being about a year away, this series will be very significant for preparation. According to Walter, including seven additional players in the squad for the last two ODIs is aimed at assessing the depth of the team to understand how these players perform against a world-class team and how many options are available for the major tournament.

Three players recovering from injuries—Jacari Foulkes (iliopsoas muscle), Will O'Rourke (calf), and Ben Sears (ankle)—were not included in the selection list for the ODI series against India.