India captain Shreyas Iyer blamed the bowlers for the team’s defeat in the fourth T20I against West Indies in Hyderabad. He felt the batters could not be faulted much, as they took the side to 223 while chasing a target of 248.

West Indies beat India by 24 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, and levelled the five-match series 2-2. India won the toss and chose to bowl first, but the visitors scored 247 runs and lost only three wickets. In reply, India could only reach 223.

Speaking after the match, Iyer was critical of the bowling. He said the problems started with the bowlers, who failed to get their lines and lengths right. He added that he was happy with the way the batters approached the big chase, but the team could not execute its bowling plans, and that is where they fell short.

India got off to a quick start in the chase. Sanju Samson scored most of the runs in a 60-run opening stand, while Abhishek Sharma hardly got any strike. However, Iyer did not agree that Abhishek’s lack of strike hurt the team.

With the series level at 2-2, both teams now have everything to play for in the final match in Bengaluru. Iyer said India will stick with the same batting approach but admitted they need to improve their execution.

100-character version:

India lose 4th T20I to West Indies by 24 runs; Iyer blames bowlers as series heads to a 2-2 decider.