Sunil Gavaskar Blasts India's Bowling Calls After West Indies Pull Off Record 250 Chase in Ranchi

Gavaskar Questions India's Bowling Decisions After Ranchi Collapse

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has picked apart India's bowling decisions during their six-wicket defeat to the West Indies in the second T20I in Ranchi, a result that allowed the visitors to level the five-match series 1-1.

India posted 249/5, but the West Indies hunted it down, reaching 252/4 in 19.2 overs to complete the highest successful T20I chase against India. With the series now locked at 1-1 ahead of the third T20I in Indore, Gavaskar believes the hosts let the game slip through avoidable tactical choices.

"I Would Have Gone With Either Arshdeep or Mayank"

Gavaskar's sharpest criticism centred on India's choice to hand the 18th over to Axar Patel rather than a frontline quick, despite Mayank Yadav having made the early inroads with three wickets.

“Definitely! I would have gone with either Arshdeep or Mayank. Yes, Arshdeep went for plenty in his final over, but Mayank had struck the early blows. Of the wickets that had fallen, he had taken three. His economy rate was about 12 an over, and at that stage, the West Indies needed more than that. So, if he had taken a wicket, and sometimes when the game is going in your favour, who knows, you would have got a wicket even if it had not been off a great delivery,” Gavaskar told JioStar.

The former opener argued that one more breakthrough at that juncture could have tilted the contest back India's way by forcing a fresh batter to the crease and putting the chasing side under pressure.

Dube's Ninth Over Under the Microscope

Gavaskar also took aim at India's decision to introduce Shivam Dube into the attack in the ninth over, suggesting left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav would have been the more logical option while the West Indies batters were still finding their feet.

“And once you get a wicket, suddenly, the opposition is on the back foot. A new batter has to come in. So, maybe that could have been tried. For me, I think giving Shivam Dube the ball in that ninth over was not exactly what was required at that stage. When the batters were still trying to get their eye in, maybe Kuldeep coming in would have been a better idea,” he added.

Hope and Rutherford Turn the Chase

After India's early breakthroughs, the hosts struggled to contain Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford. Hope finished unbeaten on 102 off 45 balls, while Rutherford smashed 84 off 37 deliveries, their 120-run partnership swinging the chase decisively the visitors' way.

Gavaskar's verdict means India head into the third T20I in Indore with questions to answer over their death-bowling and match-up planning, having conceded 250-plus and lost a game they had appeared to control at the halfway stage.