![India's team selection criticised by Kaif [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1792136554045_India'steamselectioncriticisedbyKaif(1).jpg?type=hq)
India's team selection criticised by Kaif [Source: AFP]
Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has criticised Team India’s playing XI selection in the ongoing T20I matches against the West Indies. After India crumbled to a defeat in the 4th T20I in Hyderabad, Kaif reckoned that India prioritised batting depth over bowling attack.
India selected just four specialist bowlers and two all-rounders in their playing XI for the 4th T20I, and it backfired on the Men in Blue as the West Indies posted 247/3, and India failed to chase down the total despite boasting eight batters in their lineup.
"Having batting till 8 not bravery": Kaif comes down hard on India's selection
Kaif felt that India’s playing XI selection was not suited to the conditions, and playing eight batters while compromising on the bowling depth is not an act of bravery.
"Having batting till No.8 is not bravery. Bravery is playing your proper bowlers on a good batting wicket. A brave call is one where you pick seven batters and five proper bowlers, including Axar Patel as the all-rounder.
Bravery is not allowing the opposition to score 250 and then saying we'll chase it down. If you actually play with five main bowlers, you won't need to chase so many. The flatter the conditions, the more specialist bowlers should play," Kaif said on Cricbuzz.
Kaif was also critical of the Indian team for not playing a specialist spinner (Kuldeep Yadav) in the 4th T20I.
West Indies pile misery as India's not-so-bold call backfires on them
Throughout the T20I series against the West Indies, India have gone in with a batting heavy team, and have compromised on their bowling attack; and the result has not gone in their favour.
In the last three T20I matches, the West Indies have breached the 200-run mark with relative ease, and in the second T20I, the Men in Maroon even chased down 250 without breaking a sweat.
With a lack of a quality front-line spinner in the main XI, the West Indian job has become easier as they target the other bowlers, and captain Shai Hope has already scored two centuries in the ongoing T20Is.
The Windies scored 252 in the second T20I, followed by 209 in the third game, and in Hyderabad, the team again slammed 247 runs, as the Indian bowlers had no answer to their onslaught.
