Former Indian Test captain Anil Kumble believes India should play the same playing XI for the fourth T20I against England. India suffered a massive 125-run loss against the home team at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on Tuesday.
Prince Yadav was the only change in India’s final XI for the third game as the fast bowler replaced Ravi Bishnoi, who conceded 60 runs in his four overs in the second T20I. However, Yadav was able to return with impressive figures of 2-30 in his quota of four overs.
The Delhi pacer accounted for Jos Buttler with a brilliant yorker on his first delivery. Yadav also dismissed England skipper Harry Brook.
However, India came up with a mundane batting performance as they were bundled out for a meager score of 76 runs in the run chase of 202. No Indian batter could even breach the 15-run mark as the visitors kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
Kumble said India should continue to back Tilak Varma, who was dismissed after scoring only three runs off 11 deliveries.
“I don’t think you would want to make any changes. That’s how you build confidence. He is the vice-captain. You have given him a responsibility, and I feel he should just be given another opportunity,” Anil Kumble said on JioHotstar.
“It’s just a matter of building faith and trying to plan in terms of reflecting on what could have been done, and ensuring that you start with that with the bowling. I thought India just went about looking at the boundaries and bowled to that side. One was slightly bigger. The other side was shorter. They went too early thinking that we have to bowl to the bigger boundary,” Kumble observed.
The former leg-spinner urged India to adapt to the conditions in Bristol.
“It’s just the approach, in terms of adapting to the conditions in Bristol, whatever is laid out for you, and ensuring that your best batters bat. You can’t have two batters. One batter is fine,” he said.
The former Karnataka player questioned India’s think tank for sending Harshit Rana ahead of Shivam Dube in the run chase of 202.
“Okay, you sent Axar Patel ahead once, and then you can’t be sending Harshit Rana ahead of Shivam Dube when you are chasing 202. That’s something that you are hoping for some miracle. That’s not going to happen,” Kumble observed.
The fourth T20I between England and India will be played at Bristol, County Ground on Thursday.
