McCoy joins Amir and Afridi in long list of left-arm quicks to rattle India

West Indies left-arm pacer picked up 6-17 in second T20 on Monday

Obed McCoy, left, and West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran celebrate the dismissal of India's Ravindra Jadeja in the second T20 in Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis. AFP

Obed McCoy, right, picked up six wickets in the second T20 against India. AFP

West Indies' Obed McCoy celebrates taking the wicket of India's Ravindra Jadeja during the second T20 cricket match at Warner Park in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. (AP Photo / Ricardo Mazalan)

Obed McCoy dismissed Rohit Sharma first ball. AFP

West Indies' Obed McCoy celebrates with teammate Brandon King after the dismissal of India's captain Rohit Sharma. AP

Shreyas Iyer walks off the field after being dismissed by Obed McCoy in the first T20. AFP

Obed McCoy bowls. AFP

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.