Pacer Keemo Paul said the West Indies bowlers employed slow balls to maximum effect on a slightly gripping pitch during their 24-run win over India in the fourth T20I here.
West Indies bowled out India for 223 after posting 247 for three and Paul marshalled the tourists’ defence with a five-wicket haul on Wednesday.
“From the batters’ perspective, the message we got after the first five overs was that it was a pretty good wicket. One or two balls were gripping, but other than that, it was pretty good,” Paul said in the post-match press conference.
“As bowlers, the slower balls helped us here. On other wickets and at other grounds, we haven’t been getting much grip, but it worked here,” he added.
Paul struck at crucial stages of India’s chase, dismissing Nitish Kumar Reddy and Prince Yadav off successive deliveries before removing Axar Patel to seal the West Indies’ victory.
“The game plan was to keep bowling into the wicket for as long as possible and execute our yorkers when we knew they were going for the big shots.”
Paul said the absence of dew also made a difference, as bowlers could grip the ball better under lights.
“Some pretty big scores have been chased in this series, but I think a key factor is that there was no dew (in Hyderabad). When there is dew, it becomes quite hard for teams bowling second.
“In the last game and this one, there was no dew, and I think we executed our plans perfectly,” he said.
Paul credited captain Shai Hope’s unbeaten 102 off 50 balls and the partnerships he built for giving the bowlers enough runs to defend.
Shimron Hetmyer made 33 off 12 deliveries, while Sherfane Rutherford remained unbeaten on 49 off 26 balls as the visitors posted a formidable total.
“Every game is the same for us. Whether we are batting first or batting second, we try to be as positive as possible. On these wickets, you have to score big. We did not win the toss today.
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“But I think Captain Hope has been fantastic for us. The key partnerships he built gave us the runs we needed. I think the team bowled really well,” Paul said.
The 28-year-old said detailed team meetings and clarity over individual plans helped him execute his role under pressure.
“Every team has its own game plans. We sit together and discuss them, and we have some pretty long team meetings.
“I knew what I wanted to do, what my field settings would be and what my plan was. Obviously, I won’t share my plan, but I think I executed it pretty well,” he said.
The pacer also acknowledged the challenge of bowling in T20 cricket, where the margin for error is small on batting-friendly pitches.
“You can’t be too hard on yourself as a bowler on these tracks. The margin for error is very, very thin. It all comes down to execution. It is about taking it one day at a time and sticking to the process.
“As long as you try to follow the team’s plans as much as possible, I don’t think the staff will have a problem. You can’t be too tough on yourself on these wickets,” he said.
Published on Oct 15, 2026
