India vs West Indies 4th T20I: Shreyas Iyer on Bowling Mistakes, Shai Hope on Pitch Conditions

India captain Shreyas Iyer admitted that the bowlers failed to execute their plans properly after the hosts suffered a 24-run defeat against West Indies in the fourth T20 International in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Shai Hope’s unbeaten century and Keemo Paul’s five-wicket haul powered the visitors to a series-levelling victory, setting up a decisive fifth match in Bengaluru.

West Indies scored 247/3 in 20 overs before restricting India to 223 in 19.3 overs. The result levelled the five-match T20I series at 2-2, leaving both teams with everything to play for in the final encounter.

Shreyas Iyer Identifies India’s Bowling Execution as the Problem

Speaking after the defeat, Iyer pointed to India’s line and length as a key area where the team fell short. The Indian bowlers struggled to contain the West Indies batters, who capitalised on scoring opportunities to post a formidable total.

Iyer acknowledged that the opposition executed its plans effectively and used the conditions and field placements to its advantage. He also noted that the pitch offered some assistance to the visitors.

Despite the defeat, the India captain was satisfied with the team’s overall approach during the run chase. He stressed that chasing a target close to 250 requires a structured batting effort and said the team would continue to back its approach.

For India, the immediate priority will be to improve execution with the ball rather than overcomplicate the strategy ahead of the series decider.

Shai Hope’s Unbeaten 102 Powers West Indies to 247

West Indies captain Shai Hope produced another outstanding performance, scoring an unbeaten 102 off 50 deliveries. His innings included four boundaries and nine sixes, helping the visitors finish with a commanding 247/3.

Hope registered his second century of the series, continuing an impressive run of form against India. His ability to combine controlled batting with powerful hitting allowed West Indies to maintain pressure throughout the innings.

The West Indies skipper said the team had expected the surface to be more favourable for batting. However, he felt the pitch behaved inconsistently, with some deliveries bouncing higher while others stayed low.

Hope explained that the changing pace and bounce made it difficult for batters to play straight once the spinners and faster bowlers came into the attack.

His assessment highlighted how adapting to the conditions played an important role in the contest, particularly when West Indies defended their total.

Keemo Paul Takes Five Wickets to End India’s Chase

Keemo Paul delivered the decisive blow with a superb spell of 5/41, derailing India’s chase and helping West Indies secure a crucial victory.

India began aggressively, but regular wickets prevented the hosts from building the sustained partnerships needed to chase down 248. Paul’s strikes disrupted the momentum and left the Indian batting line-up under increasing pressure.

Explaining the bowling strategy, Paul said West Indies had planned to use yorkers and target the stumps when that option was not effective. The bowlers also varied their pace to take advantage of the surface.

Paul indicated that slower deliveries were particularly useful because the ball sometimes held up on the pitch, making it harder for batters to time their shots.

His five-wicket haul proved pivotal, turning West Indies’ strong batting performance into a series-levelling win.

IND vs WI 5th T20I: Bengaluru Set for Series Decider

With the series tied 2-2, India and West Indies will meet in the fifth and final T20I in Bengaluru on Saturday, October 17.

India will look to address its bowling shortcomings and deliver a more disciplined performance, while West Indies will aim to carry the momentum from Hope’s century and Paul’s match-winning spell into the decider.

The final match will determine the series winner, making execution, adaptability and control during key phases crucial for both sides.