West Indies won the third ODI of the series by 5 wickets with 10 balls remaining on October 3, 2026, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.
Chasing 352, West Indies reached 352/5 in 48.2 overs to complete a memorable victory, with Shai Hope scoring an unbeaten 162 off 143 balls, which was West Indies’ highest successful ODI chase.
India had posted 351/7 in their 50 overs, but the bowling attack could not defend the total. Despite the defeat, India won the three-match ODI series 2-1. Former India opener Kris Srikkanth reacted sharply to the result, stating that India have no chance of winning the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup with their current bowling lineup, which he described as ‘pedestrian’. Srikkanth questioned the selection and use of Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar and Anshul Kamboj in the attack.
“Indian bowling overall is so pedestrian. There is no chance of winning the World Cup with this bowling. India are just trying to develop random guys like Gurnoor Brar and Anshul Kamboj. There is no logic behind this,” Srikkanth said, speaking on his YouTube channel.
What did Srikkanth say about India’s bowling management?
Srikkanth’s sharpest criticism was directed at the bowling decisions made during the West Indies chase. He pointed specifically to the handling of Siraj in the closing overs, arguing that the experienced pacer should have been given the ball ahead of Kamboj at a critical stage of the innings.
“Mohammed Siraj had two overs left, and even if he had bowled the 50th over, he would have bowled only nine overs. I didn’t understand that logic. Siraj should have bowled the last over that Kamboj did,” Srikkanth said.
The numbers support some of his concerns, because Brar and Kamboj conceded 146 runs in their combined 18.1 overs and took only a single wicket. Srikkanth also turned to the batting, arguing that the hosts should have scored far more against a modest attack.
He noted that India managed only around 350 runs despite the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, and described the West Indian bowling as a weak unit. The series had already seen West Indies post 295 in the first ODI and a record 405/7 in the second ODI at Guwahati, their highest ODI total ever, raising further questions about India’s bowling across the series.
Why does Srikkanth doubt Nitish Kumar Reddy as an all-rounder?
Srikkanth also questioned whether Nitish Kumar Reddy has the quality for the all-rounder’s role after a poor final ODI. The 23-year-old looked uncomfortable with the bat, as he scored nine off 16 balls, and he went wicketless with the ball, conceding 50 runs in 6.5 overs.
“Once the ball bounces slightly high, Nitish Kumar Reddy is a case and struggles,” Srikkanth opined. “He keeps bowling even as he’s getting smashed. They are adamant on making him an all-rounder somehow. It’s not a good sign for Indian cricket. His batting also looks suspect on bouncy wickets.”
Srikkanth pointed to Reddy’s broader ODI record to support his doubts. Across eight ODIs, Reddy has taken only 3 wickets at an average of 91.33 and an economy rate of 7.40, while averaging 27.25 with the bat. Srikkanth also cited Reddy’s struggles on bouncy wickets as a concern for his suitability in the all-rounder’s role at the highest level.