Former Indian wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel has questioned India’s bowling combination and he believes the team’s think tank is missing a trick. In the first three T20Is, India has played with a solitary specialist pacer.

While Arshdeep Singh played in the first two games, Mohammed Shami returned to action in the third game at Rajkot. All-rounder Hardik Pandya has been given the onus of sharing the new ball by Suryakumar Yadav.

Patel reckons India could have targeted Liam Livingstone with a fast bowler in the third T20I but they could not do so as they played with four spinners in the final XI. Livingstone went on to score a crucial knock of 43 runs off 24 balls, including five sixes, to help the Three Lions go past the 170-run mark.

“India is playing with just one fast bowler. You went with four spinners which worked in favor of Liam Livingstone. He went after them and scored runs. If another pacer was there in the Playing XI, it would have been easy to target Liam. India is missing a trick,” Parthiv Patel said on Star Sports.

Former England swashbuckling batter Kevin Pietersen also concurred with Parthiv Patel.

Pietersen said, “Parthiv is making a good point. After hitting fours and sixes, Livingstone was finally dismissed by Hardik Pandya, and that is why Parthiv said that another pacer in the team would have been good for the Indian team.”

Meanwhile, India could not come up with a collective batting show in the third T20I and it led to their downfall. Hardik Pandya scored 40 runs off 35 balls but the rest of the batters could not get going in the run-chase of 172.

The fourth T20I between India and England will take place at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Friday.