Indian batsmen's vulnerability against left-arm fast bowlers is no secret. Over the years, left-armers have unsettled India, especially in white-ball matches – often in crunch games.
Such setbacks have increased in recent years, coinciding with a rise of quality left-arm quicks in the international arena.
On Monday, West Indies left-armer Obed McCoy decimated Rohit Sharma's team in the second T20 in Basseterre, picking up a scarcely believable 6-17 to dismiss the Indians for 138. Those were the best figures in the format against India and the seventh best in international cricket.
That effort was enough to secure victory, even though India's bowlers took the match to the last over where a no-ball by Avesh Khan and subsequent free hit settled matters as West Indies won by five wickets to level the series at 1-1.
It was the latest match-winning effort by a left-arm quick against India in white-ball cricket.
The most famous ones are by Pakistan fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Shaheen Afridi.
Amir rocked India's top order in the 2017 Champions Trophy final where he sent back Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan in a devastating opening spell as the men in green lifted the trophy with a thumping 180-run win.
Then in the T20 World Cup in the UAE last year, Afridi blew away India's top order, accounting for Sharma and Kohli again as Babar Azam's team finally registered their first World Cup win over India by 10 wickets.
There have been many others. Last month, England left-arm quick Reece Topley bowled a career best 6-24 to set up a 100-run win at Lord's.
Bangladesh left-arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman has five five-wicket hauls in ODIs. Three of them are against the Indians.
Former England captain and commentator Nasser Hussain believes India have a problem against left-arm pacer.
“I have a feeling India have a problem against left-armers in all formats. I think of Shaheen Afridi in the T20 World Cup and Mohammad Amir in the Champions Trophy final in 2017 and Reece Topley in this series,” Hussain said.
McCoy's latest effort against India has only reinforced the belief.
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Chatham House Rule
A mark of Chatham House’s influence 100 years on since its founding, was Moscow’s formal declaration last month that it was an “undesirable
organisation”.
The depth of knowledge and academics that it drew on
following the Ukraine invasion had broadcast Mr Putin’s chicanery.
The institute is more used to accommodating world leaders,
with Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher among those helping it provide
authoritative commentary on world events.
Chatham House was formally founded as the Royal Institute of
International Affairs following the peace conferences of World War One. Its
founder, Lionel Curtis, wanted a more scientific examination of international affairs
with a transparent exchange of information and ideas.
That arena of debate and analysis was enhanced by the “Chatham
House Rule” states that the contents of any meeting can be discussed outside Chatham
House but no mention can be made identifying individuals who commented.
This has enabled some candid exchanges on difficult subjects
allowing a greater degree of free speech from high-ranking figures.
These meetings are highly valued, so much so that
ambassadors reported them in secret diplomatic cables that – when they were
revealed in the Wikileaks reporting – were thus found to have broken the rule. However,
most speeches are held on the record.
Its research and debate has offered fresh ideas to
policymakers enabling them to more coherently address troubling issues from climate
change to health and food security.
