Sunil Gavaskar feels Shamar Joseph would have been better off targeting the stumps rather than following Arshdeep Singh with his deliveries in the final over of the fourth T20I between India and West Indies in Hyderabad.
Joseph faced criticism after one of his deliveries struck Arshdeep on the arm. With 35 runs needed off the final over and only one wicket remaining, Arshdeep top-edged the first ball for four. He was struck on the arm off the next delivery, before Joseph followed him with another ball aimed at his body as the batter made room. Gavaskar felt the tactic was not right and criticised the West Indies pacer.
Arshdeep, who was in visible pain, eventually had to retire hurt. With India’s No. 11 unable to continue, the innings ended at 19.3 overs. However, captain Shreyas Iyer, realising India would need their bowler for the all-important decider, signalled from the dugout for Arshdeep to return.
“If he is not ok, he should retire. He seems to be in pain. You do not want to aggravate that injury,” said Gavaskar after the blow.
However, it was the next delivery that irked Gavaskar.
“Would it not be simpler to just aim at the stumps? He knows that he is moving away to the left. Just aim at the stumps. Don’t aim at him. He is aiming at him.”
After the match, Samson offered an update on Arshdeep’s condition, saying the fast bowler was applying ice to his shoulder. Arshdeep immediately went down after being struck and called for the physio. He resumed batting but was in pain again two balls later.
Goswami slams Joseph
Besides Gavaskar, former wicketkeeper-batter Sreevats Goswami also called out Joseph, calling his actions deliberate.
“What Shamar Joseph did in the last 3 balls against Arshdeep is not in the spirit of the game for me. Arshdeep was never going to win it for India from that situation. I know it’s a battle out there, but he could have just bowled it on the stumps instead of trying to follow, and it looked like he was purposely trying to hit him. Not on,” he posted on X.
The five-match T20I series is level at 2-2 after West Indies sealed a 24-run win. The series decider will be played on Saturday at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium. Shai Hope’s unbeaten 102 – his fourth century of the tour – proved decisive as India managed 213 runs in response to West Indies’ 247/3.