Photo courtesy: IANS
As India lost the T20I series finale against West Indies, captain Hardik Pandya admitted responsibility for deviating from the game plan. He claimed he failed to take advantage of the opportunity when he entered the batting order and that he didn’t carry out the strategy exactly as intended.
Hardik entered the first innings in the eleventh over and only managed to make 14 from 18 balls. In the 16th delivery of his innings, he smashed his first and only six, helping India reach 165 for 9 in their allotted 20 overs. West Indies responded by chasing it down with eight wickets and two overs remaining.
“If you see, we lost that period post ten overs since I came in to bat. I think I was not able to capitalise [on] the situation and took my time and was not able to finish. I think the boys really played well. I think, at that period when I went in, I kind of did not play exactly how it was supposed to be,” Hardik said in the post-match presentation.
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Hardik made certain decisions as captain as well that caused controversy. Early in the game, he attempted to bowl out his pacers, but this strategy was completely unsuccessful.
When questioned about his decision-making process for bowling alterations, Hardik responded,”It is what I feel at that moment. I don’t plan much about it. If I see the situation and if I believe which is a better option, I generally prefer that. It’s not rocket science, it’s just whatever my gut says at that time.”
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The 29-year-old also emphasised the need of keeping things in perspective, even if doing so meant accepting some setbacks along the way.
“All these (bilateral) games are the games where we are going to learn. It’s something which we have spoken in the group that anything which is difficult, we are going to try that and make sure that we get better. One series (loss) here and there is fine. It’s a longer process which I don’t think we need to explain much on it. But overall, the boys are committing to the cause which is very exciting.
“We have enough time to figure out what is supposed to be done in T20s. Sometimes losing is good because it teaches you a lot of things. It does not cover up the messes which you do but I think, on the positive side, there is a lot of learning which we as a group have learned and special mention to all the boys,” he said.
The loss on Sunday was India’s first T20I series loss under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya. It also broke India’s streak of 12 consecutive unbeaten bilateral series as the Asian side fell to their first series defeat in men’s T20Is in more than two years.
-IANS
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