The fifth and final T20I between India and West Indies will be played in Bengaluru on October 17.
West Indies won the game by 24 runs after successfully defending 247 runs. Shai Hope (102*) and Sherfane Rutherford (49*) helped the Windies put up 247/3 in 20 overs. In response, despite Sanju Samson’s 56 and a couple of forties from Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy, India only managed 223 runs.
Gavaskar’s reaction came after the Joseph bouncer hit India's tail-ender Arshdeep Singh on the shoulder, leaving his fellow pacer in pain. India needed 30 runs off the penultimate delivery, but Arshdeep chose to continue his knock despite obvious agony. Even Shreyas Iyer, the captain of India, advised Arshdeep to retire hurt and leave the field right away, but the pacer chose not to comply.
On the next delivery, Arshdeep once again left his stumps exposed to clear the boundary. But Joseph bowled another short ball at Arshdeep's wounded shoulder. Luckily, Arshdeep was not hit by the ball this time, and it went away for four byes and a wide. Arshdeep left the stumps and attempted to pull Joseph during the over.
Sunil Gavaskar was left fuming in the commentary box and slammed the visitors' pacer for "aiming at Arshdeep" instead of the stumps, which had been left unprotected.
“He is aiming at him. Why attack the batter when the stumps are right there?" Gavaskar said in commentary.
Arshdeep was unable to continue after narrowly avoiding being hit a second time. He was retired hurt on 5 as the West Indies won the match by 24 runs to level the series.
On the other hand, former Bengal and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) cricketer Shreevats Goswami also questioned Shamar Joseph’s decision to continue bowling short deliveries at Arshdeep Singh when India had no realistic chance of pulling off a comeback.
“What Shamar Joseph did in the last 3 balls against Arshdeep is not in the spirit of the game for me! Arshdeep was not in a position to win the match for India given the circumstances. I know it’s a battle out there, but he could have just bowled it on the stumps instead of trying to follow, and it looked like he was purposely trying to hit him. Not on!” Shreevats posted on X.
With the series level at 1-1, India and the West Indies will clash in the final T20I on October 17 in Bengaluru.