IND vs WI: What India's bowlers got wrong in 4th T20I against West Indies in Hyderabad

India's death bowling was tested once again as they fell to a 24-run loss to West Indies in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Hyderabad: India's Mayank Yadav, left, and Arshdeep Singh interact between overs during the fourth T20I cricket match of a series between India and West Indies, in Hyderabad, Telangana, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak) (PTI10_14_2026_000344B) (PTI) Shreyas Iyer-led India had the perfect opportunity to seal the five-match T20I series against West Indies in Hyderabad on Wednesday. India came into the match on the back of a 2-1 lead, and a win on Wednesday would have sealed the series with a match to spare. However, India's death bowling was tested once again after they opted to field first, as West Indies posted a strong total of 247/3 on the back of Shai Hope's unbeaten 102. In reply, India were restricted to 223/9 after 19.3 overs, with Arshdeep Singh, the No. 11 batter, retiring hurt after being struck on his left shoulder courtesy of a short-length ball from Shamar Joseph. The defeat means that the series is now level at 2-2 and the winner will be decided in the fifth T20I in Bengaluru on Saturday. A costly start in the powerplay India' s problems began as early as in the powerplay, as West Indies posted 79/1 after six overs. By doing so, West Indies equalled the joint-highest powerplay total against India in T20Is. The opening partnership between Hope and Jewel Andrew yielded 52 runs from 26 deliveries before Axar Patel dismissed the latter for 21 runs off 16 balls. Arshdeep conceded 17 runs from his second over, whereas Mayank Yadav went for 20 runs in his third over, including five wides. These expensive overs allowed West Indies to establish a scoring rate of more than 13 runs per over during the early stages. Arshdeep also conceded 19 runs in the sixth over, when Shimron Hetmyer struck a six and two fours. Prince Yadav provided some relief by dismissing Hetmyer for 33 off 12 balls in the ninth over. However, the West Indies batter had already accelerated the innings with four fours and two sixes, setting up a great platform for a big total. The dismissal did not significantly slow down Hope, who continued scoring boundaries against the Indian attack. Mayank Yadav and Arshdeep Singh struggle to contain the scoring Mayank finished with figures of 0/52 from four overs, conceding runs at 13 per over. He bowled six wides and one no-ball, gifting West Indies runs. Hope scored 21 runs from 11 balls faced against Mayank, while Rutherford made 17 from four balls, including two sixes. Arshdeep also conceded 52 runs in four overs, taking one wicket at an economy rate of 13. His early spell gave Andrew and Hetmyer opportunities to attack, while his later overs failed to contain Rutherford. View full Image Arshdeep Singh took one wicket but conceded 52 runs in his four overs. (PTI) In the 18th over, Arshdeep attempted to bowl full deliveries and yorkers against Rutherford. However, the execution was inconsistent: three wides and a six helped West Indies collect 11 runs from the over. He did produce a yorker that Rutherford failed to connect with on the final delivery, demonstrating that the intended variation could still be effective when executed accurately. Prince Yadav, India’s most economical bowler On a day when the rest of India’s bowlers went for economy rates of more than 10, Prince Yadav was the standout bowler. He finished with figures of 1/36 from four overs at an economy rate of nine. View full Image Prince Yadav was India's most economical bowler for India in the fourth T20I against West Indies. (PTI) His figures were better than those of his fellow seamers, although he could not prevent the West Indies from finishing strongly. Axar Patel returned 1/45 from four overs, while Nitish Kumar Reddy conceded 39 runs in three overs. Naman Dhir's only over cost 19 runs. These figures left India without an economical option to consistently slow the scoring once Hope and Rutherford had established themselves. Extras compound India's problems India conceded 13 wides and one no-ball, accounting for 14 runs in extras. Mayank alone accounted for six wides and the no-ball, while Arshdeep also conceded wides. The issue was therefore not simply the number of boundaries conceded. India's inability to consistently execute their planned lines and lengths, combined with wides and a no-ball, made it harder to control the innings. About the Author PN Vishnu PN Vishnu is a contributor with the LiveMint Sports team, where he primarily covers cricket, football and other major sporting events. A passionate sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience in digital media, Vishnu has been an ardent follower of sports for more than 10 years. While he enjoys covering a wide range of disciplines, his biggest sporting passions remain cricket and football. He is also a devoted supporter of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League and Manchester United in English football. <br><br> Vishnu pursued a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, in 2016 and graduated in 2017. Since then, he has built an extensive career in sports journalism, working with leading media organisations including Deccan Chronicle and Firstpost. In 2025, he worked for CricXtasy for six months before joining LiveMint in February 2026. <br><br> Over the years, he has reported extensively on marquee sporting events such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Indian Super League (ISL). His reporting has also provided opportunities to interact with some of the game's leading personalities, including India cricketers Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhruv Jurel. <br><br> Away from the newsroom, Vishnu enjoys unwinding with books, discovering new music and binge-watching television series.