Discarded India batter Hanuma Vihari made a huge statement on young pacer Mayank Yadav ahead of the third T20I against the West Indies. The game will be played at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday, October 11.

India lost the second T20I as the West Indies chased down 250 runs in just 18.3 overs with six wickets to spare. Mayank Yadav picked up two wickets in the very first over and struck again in the sixth to leave the visitors at 58/3. However, a big moment in the game came when he dropped Sherfane Rutherford on 39. Vihari reckoned that it was the turning point and nullified all three wickets that he had picked up.

“Mayank bowled beautifully in the first spell. When he got those three wickets it felt like the match was over. Mayank dropped Rutherford’s catch when he was on 39. That was the turning point of the match. It was like the three wickets he took were nullified by that one drop catch,” he said in a video on his YouTube channel.

Rutherford went on to score 84 off 37 balls and was also involved in a 120-run stand with Shai Hope that took the game away from India. Mayank returned figures of 3/36 from three overs, albeit in vain.

Vihari reflected that 250 being easily chased down was a sign of how the game was progressing. He added that both sides would definitely look to chase in the remainder of the series.

“Even 250 was not enough for India. That shows how the game is moving. I think many teams will only want to chase in these conditions and wickets. The pressure will definitely be on the team that bats first. The next three games will be mind-boggling. If you look at the three venues next, the team that wins the toss will want to chase and win the series.”

The fourth T20I will be played in Hyderabad on October 14, while the final game of the series will take place in Bengaluru on October 17.

Hanuma Vihari on India’s bowling attack

Hanuma Vihari reflected that all bowlers going for so many runs showcased the importance of bringing Bhuvneshwar Kumar back for the New Zealand series. He expressed that the young Indian bowlers would have to pick themselves up soon in this format.

“Every bowler went for runs. It is good for entertainment. But is it good for cricket? I don’t know. This shows the value of experience and why they brought Bhuvneshwar back. Yes you need to give youngsters chances but they have to learn quickly. There is no doubt. I know it is a difficult game for bowlers. But how many times will you lose defending 250? This raises questions in India’s bowling,” he said.

An experienced spinner like Kuldeep Yadav was also taken to the cleaners. He returned figures of 1/53 from four overs. Vihari felt that even someone like Kuldeep would struggle on flat pitches with no assistance. He questioned the ability of bowlers from either side to execute yorkers on such wickets.

“What should be the bowling attack going forward? I think Kuldeep was decent but he cannot do much on flat wickets. He has to have assistance from the pitch. Only then batters will struggle. Only someone like Bumrah can bowl yorkers at will on such tracks. Tell me one bowler who executed those yorkers from both teams? It is going to be difficult. It is not just brilliant batting. It is a combination of poor bowling, brilliant pitches, and outstanding batting.”

Shreyas Iyer and his troops will aim to bounce back strong after the loss in the second T20I.