Former India batter Hanuma Vihari opened up on Team India’s bowling attack after their five-wicket defeat against the West Indies in the third ODI. West Indies chased down 352 in 48.2 overs. As India failed to defend 351 against the West Indies, Hanuma Vihari said the team was moving backwards and that the loss was a big blow for them as well.

“We could not defend 350. Is this not a wake-up call? I think the team is going backwards. This is a big blow. This has happened on very rare occasions when the Indian team fails to defend 350. This bowling attack certainly has to be investigated. They conceded 405 also in the previous match,” he said in a video on his YouTube channel.

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“Gurnoor was okay. There are some fitness concerns with him. Nitish was also okay. Siraj was decent, I would not say it was world class from him. Kuldeep also looked a bit off color. Naman bowled decently but with such a fifth bowling quota, while defending 350, you need a better option. That is where the bowling has been exposed. This is where they are really missing Hardik and Bumrah,” he again shared.

With key bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya not present in the ODI team now, Hanuma Vihari added that India were still looking for solutions with just a year to go for the 2027 World Cup as well.

“The backup bowlers were also off color. Kamboj bowled at a better pace which was good to see. But there is still a long way to go. I think Prasidh will be a regular from here. They will still try Gurnoor, Kamboj. Siraj is returning to the side. They have tried Auqib and Nitish as well. They are trying to find a solution. It is not a great stage to be in just one year before the World Cup,” he concluded.