Ashwin slams Shai Hope for 'serving a hungry lion a goat on a platter' as Sanju Samson's 82 goes in vain in Ranchi T20I

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has accused West Indies captain Shai Hope of a major tactical blunder during the second T20I against India in Ranchi, arguing that the visiting skipper erred by persisting with Akeal Hosein even as the left-arm spinner was being taken apart by Sanju Samson.

India piled up 249/5 in 20 overs in Ranchi on Friday, with Samson smashing 82 off just 41 deliveries, but West Indies produced a stunning response with the bat, chasing down the target with nine balls to spare. Hope struck an unbeaten 102 off 45 balls to level the five-match series at 1-1.

'You cannot keep using spinners from one end'

While India's batting dominated the first half of the contest, Ashwin felt Hope missed an opportunity to contain Samson by continuing to use Hosein during the PowerPlay. The left-arm spinner conceded 46 runs in three overs, struggling to contain Samson, who punished him with two sixes and two fours in one over. Despite the batter's aggressive approach, Hope gave Hosein three consecutive overs before eventually leaving him out of the attack for the remainder of the innings.

"Samson looked scratchy because he was not in a run-scoring phase. However, Shai Hope also made a mistake today. You cannot keep using spinners from one end in an attempt to build pressure on Sanju Samson. Bowling three consecutive overs from Akeal Hosein during the powerplay was like serving a hungry lion a goat on a platter. Samson simply took advantage of the opportunity and went after Akeal Hosein," said Ashwin on his YouTube channel, Ash Ki Baat.

'He continues to take risks for the team'

Samson arrived in Ranchi with his place in the side under scrutiny — a running theme this season. In late September, Ashwin himself had publicly asked why "no one understands his position", as the debate over India's selection calls around the wicketkeeper-batter refused to die down.

Yet Ashwin believes it is precisely the manner in which Samson has handled that pressure that is reviving his form, praising the wicketkeeper-batter's willingness to keep taking risks for the team rather than protecting himself.

"It is not easy to maintain that attitude. It is human nature that when you are in danger and know that you might be dropped, self-preservation becomes the top priority. Yet, he continues to take risks for the team. And it is this great attitude of his that seems to be bringing him some luck as well. A catch went straight into a fielder's hands today, but he dropped it," Ashwin added.

Hope leads stunning West Indies response

Despite the expensive spell from Hosein, West Indies turned the game around with a commanding batting display. Hope led the chase with an unbeaten century, helping the visitors overcome the pressure of pursuing a total close to 250. West Indies also showed remarkable resilience by completing the chase despite losing three wickets inside the first six overs.

Bat-ball balance under the scanner as teams head to Indore

The result has added to the growing debate around the balance between bat and ball in the series, with both teams producing high-scoring performances and batting-friendly conditions making life difficult for the bowlers. India will now look to address their difficulties in defending big totals, with head coach Gautam Gambhir having stressed the need for a better balance between bat and ball.

The teams now head to Indore for the next contest, where another high-scoring encounter could await.