Team India was defeated by the West Indies by five wickets in the second T20I of the series in Basseterre. India had a poor batting performance, being bowled out for 138 before the bowlers put up a valiant fight, eventually succumbing to defeat in the final over of the match. While Obed McCoy starred for the hosts with a six-wicket haul, Brandon King smashed a half-century and Devon Thomas remained unbeaten on 31 off 18 balls to secure a win and tie the five-match series 1-1.
Surprisingly, India captain Rohit Sharma gave Avesh Khan the final over with the Windies needing 10 runs to win. Bhuvneshwar Kumar had two overs left in the game when he made the decision, which enraged the fans. While Rohit explained after the game that the decision was made to put the youngsters through their paces in dangerous waters, the experts continued to disagree.
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Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel supported Rohit’s decision, but when the conversation turned to India’s bowling lineup, the ex-India star admitted he was surprised by the absence of a certain bowler – Mohammed Shami. The 31-year-old hasn’t played a T20I since the World Cup last year, but he remains an important part of the Test and ODI squads.
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“When Bhuvi plays, he must bowl two overs up front.” There’s also Bumrah and Arshdeep. I’m still perplexed as to why Mohammed Shami isn’t being considered as a new ball bowler. Harshal has done well, but Dinesh Karthik’s performance in the IPL earned him selection for India. Mohammed Shami’s performance as a bowler in the IPL was even better. He won the trophy for them, and he picked wickets for the Gujarat Titans,” Parthiv said on Cricbuzz.
“It might not be such a bad idea.” Yes, it is the same team that competed in the T20 World Cup last year, but these players have improved. Bhuvi and Shami have improved since the last World Cup. He’s doing well with his new ball. “We say Shami hasn’t bowled well in death overs, but he has improved at Punjab and Gujarat (in the IPL),” the former India star added.
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