'No chance of winning World Cup': Kris Srikkanth lambasts India bowlers, calls bowling lineup pedestrian

'No chance of winning World Cup': Kris Srikkanth lambasts India bowlers, calls bowling lineup pedestrian originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Kris Srikkanth criticised India's bowling after West Indies chased 352 in the third ODI at New Chandigarh, ending hopes of a 3-0 sweep.

Shai Hope's unbeaten 162 gave West Indies their highest successful ODI chase, and Srikkanth questioned the use of Siraj, Gurnoor Brar and Anshul Kamboj.

Srikkanth also doubted Nitish Kumar Reddy as an all-rounder after scores and figures of 9 off 16 balls and 0/50 in 6.5 overs.

Kris Srikkanth issues blunt 2027 World Cup warning after Shai Hope takes India bowlers to the cleaners

Kris Srikkanth has delivered a blunt verdict on India's bowling attack, saying that it offers no real hope of winning the World Cup in 2027 after the hosts failed to defend 351 at New Chandigarh in the third ODI against West Indies.

Shai Hope's unbeaten 162 steered the visitors to 352/5 with 10 balls to spare, which was their highest successful run chase in ODI history. The warning signs had appeared earlier, since West Indies scored 295 in the opener and then smashed 405/7 in Guwahati, their highest ODI total ever.

India still won the series 2-1, but their bowlers were taken for runs in all three games, and that should concern a side heading into a World Cup year.

Srikkanth reserved his sharpest critique for the bowling changes implemented by Shubman Gill in the closing overs, and he was particularly puzzled by how Mohammed Siraj was used.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Cheeky Cheeka, he said: "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.

"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."

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.

He then turned to the batting, arguing that the hosts should have scored far more against a modest attack.

"Even with such a pathetic West Indian attack, India only scored 350. And this is the full team except Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. You can't lose a game to a side like the West Indies."

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Why Srikkanth doubts 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."

With Hardik Pandya out injured for an extended period, India have tried Nitish as a seam-bowling all-rounder in recent matches. In eight ODIs, he has taken three wickets at an average of 91.33 and an economy rate of 7.40, while his batting average is 27.25 from five innings. The numbers are ordinary and the Indian team management must look elsewhere.

MORE: West Indies expose India's bowling issues, major reality check before 2027 WC

Srikkanth is harsh, but the warning is fair about the 2027 World Cup

Srikkanth's language was strong, and the claim that India have no chance of winning the World Cup is an overstatement. A bowling attack without Bumrah, Axar and Arshdeep, playing on three flat pitches, was never going to look its best, and the series win still counts for something.

Even so, the central point stands up well to the figures. Conceding 295, 405 and 352 is poor in any circumstances, and the fact that two of those totals came in games India won only hides the problem. Teams that rely on their batters to outscore the opposition will eventually meet a bowling day that goes wrong in a knockout match.

MORE: India's 2027 ICC ODI World Cup squad: Probables and contenders ranked

The selection questions are fairer still. Brar and Kamboj gave away 146 runs for one wicket, and Nitish's record in eight ODIs does not yet justify an all-rounder's place, since an average of 91.33 with the ball tells its own story. Patience with young players is sensible, but a World Cup squad cannot be built on experiments forever.

The apt reading is that this was a useful warning rather than a disaster. India will have Bumrah and others back, but the gaps in the second tier of bowlers have now been exposed. The selectors need to use that information well, because the real tests will be far harder than this series.

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