Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has criticised India’s bowling strategy and captaincy decisions following their 76-run defeat to South Africa in the Super 8 stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup in Ahmedabad. Kaif believes the match slipped away between the 7th and 15th overs, when India failed to use Jasprit Bumrah to break the crucial partnership between David Miller and Dewald Brevis.
According to Kaif, former skipper Rohit Sharma handled Bumrah differently, often bringing him back into the attack during the middle overs to claim key wickets.
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Kaif questions Bumrah’s role in middle overs
"We lost the match between the 7th and 15th over. You used Bumrah's two overs early and kept the remaining two for the death. But Rohit Sharma never used Bumrah like this," Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
"He bowled one over in the middle to break a partnership. There is a big gap between his spells. There is no bigger match-winner in this team than Bumrah. They need to bowl him for just one over in the powerplay, and then get him to bowl the 11th or 12th," he added.
Bumrah bowled two overs in the powerplay and dismissed Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton. However, apart from Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, the rest of the Indian bowling attack struggled against the South African batters.
Bumrah was brought back only in the 17th over, by which time South Africa were well in control at 152-5, with Tristan Stubbs at the crease.
South Africa ended India’s 12-match unbeaten streak in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and handed the defending champions a 76-run defeat. It was India’s second-biggest defeat by runs in T20 Internationals after the 80-run loss to New Zealand in Wellington in 2019. In T20 World Cup history, it marked India’s biggest defeat.
The 76-run loss has complicated India’s semi-final qualification scenario. The Men in Blue now need to win their remaining two matches with a strong net run rate to stay in contention for defending the T20 World Cup title.
