Rohit Sharma defends his decision to give Avesh Khan the last over vs WI

Rohit Sharma. Pic/AFP

India skipper Rohit Sharma has said there will be occasions when his team will lose a few games as it aims to find the right combination for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in Australia, adding that there was no need to push the panic button just yet.

West Indies left-arm pace bowler Obed McCoy produced one of the most impactful bowling performances in T20I history as he demolished India for 138 to guide the hosts to a series-levelling five-wicket win at the Warner Park on Tuesday (IST). The 25-year-old quick produced the best-ever figures by a West Indies bowler in the shortest format before the home side held its nerve in the final over to level the five-match series at 1-1.

McCoy ended with 6/17 from a brilliant four-over spell which was a mix of accurate cutters and changes of pace. None of the India batters could make an impact as middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav once again came out to open with Rohit Sharma, a strategy that has been criticised by several cricket pundits.

Also Read: In pics: Obed McCoy takes 6 wickets as West Indies beat India to level series

"It was not enough runs on the board for us. We didn't bat well. Pitch was playing quite nicely but we didn't apply ourselves. But that can happen. I have said again and again that when you are trying something as a batting group, it won't work out always. We will try to see our mistakes and look to correct them," said Sharma after the five-wicket defeat, which helped the hosts level the five-match series 1-1.

Sharma also said it was part of the strategy to give the final over of the innings to pace bowler Avesh Khan in order to give him the experience to bowl the death overs.

"It's all about giving opportunity. We know Bhuvneshwar (Kumar), what he brings to the table, but if you don't give opportunity to Avesh (Khan) or Arshdeep (Singh) you will never find out what it means to bowl at the death for India. They have done it in the IPL. Just one game, those guys don't need to panic. They need backing and opportunity," opined Sharma.

The skipper said he was happy with the team performance, given they gave a tough fight to the West Indies even while defending a meagre total.

"Proud of the team. When you are defending a target like that, it can end in 13-14 overs or you try to drag it to the last over. Guys kept fighting, it was important to take wickets. The planning we did, the guys came and executed. Happy with bowlers, but there are certain things in the batting we need to look at. I will again and again say that we will continue to bat in this fashion because we want to achieve something. One-off result, shouldn't panic. After one loss we won't change things around."

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