India succumbed to a six-wicket defeat in the second T20I match against the West Indies at JSCA International Stadium, Ranchi on Friday (October 9).
Invited to bat first, the hosts posted a massive 249/5 in 20 overs. Sanju Samson top-scored with a blistering 82 off 41 balls (9 fours, 4 sixes), supported by Tilak Varma (44* off 18), Ishan Kishan (43 off 22), and Shreyas Iyer (40 off 18).
Despite young Indian pacer Mayank Yadav striking twice in the very first over and reducing the West Indies to 58/3 in the powerplay, the tourists pulled off a historic chase.
Skipper Shai Hope smashed a spectacular, unbeaten 102 off 45 balls, anchoring a flawless counter-attack. He put together a ruthless 120-run partnership with Sherfane Rutherford, who blazed 84 runs off just 37 deliveries. The Caribbean side crossed the line at 252/4 in 18.3 overs.
Reflecting on the match, legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin raised concerns over India’s bowling depth and tactical awareness.
Ashwin emphasized that India cannot simply depend on a singular match-winner like Jasprit Bumrah to bail them out in high-scoring conditions. He called for a stronger emphasis on long-term investment, grooming, and developing defensive game awareness across the wider bowling setup.
“It’s not that I’m blaming the bowlers, but we don’t have enough quality in our bowling, and we haven’t placed enough emphasis on developing it. That is why the chances of producing high-quality bowlers remain quite low. I really hope we spend some time grooming high-quality bowlers because bowling in such conditions requires understanding and game awareness. I felt that was lacking a little today,” Ashwin said while speaking on his YouTube channel.
“Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav were both fortunate in a way because, as captains, they had a cheat code in the form of Jasprit Bumrah. He can bowl defensively when required, and he also has a good variety of slower deliveries. But not many bowlers are that gifted, and I am genuinely worried about the future of Indian bowling,” he added.
Ashwin also pointed out tactical errors in the bowling deployment, noting that bringing Shivam Dube into the attack immediately after the powerplay allowed the momentum to slip, and suggested that premier spinner Kuldeep Yadav should have been brought on earlier to control the damage.
“250 was a good score. I just feel India lacked a bit of defensive bowling. I mean, Shivam Dube was brought into the attack immediately after the powerplay. I think both captains, whether it was Shai Hope or Shreyas Iyer, had very average days today. Mayank Yadav picked up the first two or three wickets inside six overs, it would have been time to bring Kuldeep Yadav into the attack a little earlier,” he remarked.
After the match in Ranchi, the five-T20I series currently stands level at 1-1. The third T20I will take place in Indore on Sunday (October 11).
