Indian T-20 captain Hardik Pandya has accepted responsibility for going off-script as India lost the T20I series decider against West Indies on Sunday. Hardik, the India captain, arrived in the 11th over of the first innings and made just 14 off 18 balls.
“If you see, we lost that period post ten overs since I came [in to bat],” he said in the post-match presentation. “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.”
India had recovered from the loss of two early wickets at the time their captain arrived at the crease. They were 86 for 3 in the 11th over but were immediately tied down by West Indies. Only 20 runs came off the next 22 deliveries. India finished on 165 for 9 in their 20 overs. West Indies chased it down with eight wickets and two overs to spare.
Of late, Hardik has shown a tendency to bat time. He managed 77 runs at a strike rate of 110 in the T20Is on this tour. He was better in the ODIs, but 70 of the 82 he got from three innings came in one knock. “This has been a concern,” former India batter Wasim Jaffer said on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time:Out. “He hasn’t been the free-flowing batter that he has been where he comes in and strikes it sweetly – doesn’t mean he’s hitting sixes but striking it nicely, rotating the strike.
“Apart from that fifty he scored in the third ODI, where also he started very slowly but picked it up in the slog overs. But even then, he looked rusty. The partnership between him and Shubman [Gill] in that third ODI, because he started so slowly, Shubman struggled at the other end and he got out. So, for me, the way he has batted in this series, that’s a big concern because not every time he is going to start slowly and finish very strongly. We could see it in the T20s as well. As soon as he comes, the momentum drops down, the strike rate drops down, and it puts pressure on the other guys in the dugout as well. So something for him to take note and improve when the next opportunity comes.”
As captain too, Hardik made some calls that raised debate, such as not bowling Yuzvendra Chahal out in the second T20I, which India lost, even though the legspinner was their best bowler with figures of 3-0-19-2.
Hardik was asked about his thought process while deciding bowling changes in Lauderhill and he said, “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.”
India came back from 0-2 down in the series to push it to a decider and a lot of their best work was the result of their younger players acquitting well to international cricket. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma and Mukesh Kumar, who made their debuts on this tour, showed that they can play roles as important as the agenda-setter at the top of the innings, the middle-overs muscle and the death-overs specialist. That was a big positive for Hardik.—INP
