Hardik Pandya: Hardik Pandya did not shy to accept the defeat in the fifth T20I against West Indies in Florida. The visitors, who were coming off on the back of two wins, could not continue with the same momentum as it squandered the opportunity to lose the third T20I by seven wickets and thereby losing series 3-2. This was also the first T20 series loss under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy. During the post-match presentation, the all-rounder stated that it was his wicket that turned the match on its head.
After the dismissal of Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson, India could not get the finish they desired as they kept losing wickets in the end overs. “We lost the momentum when I came in and couldn’t capitalize on the situation. I believe we gonna challenge ourselves.
“We try to get better. In hindsight, it is fine. We don’t need to explain much. I know how the boys are within the group. We have enough time to figure it out. Losing is good at times. On the positive side, we have done a lot of learnings,” Pandya stated.
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Hardik Pandya: Hardik impressed with the way boys showed character during T20 series against West Indies
Despite being 0-2 in the five-match series at one stage, Pandya & Co showed character to win two games. The all-rounder lauded the boys for not giving up till the end. The 29-year-old is also pretty impressed with a few young players’ performances like Tilak Varma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Mukesh Kumar. Varma was India’s highest run-scorer, scoring over 150 runs, Jaiswal scored a scintillating fifty in just his second T20I, while Mukesh Kumar picked up three wickets and bowled tough overs.
“The boys showed character. Credit to them. They kept coming and tried something new. It is part of the process. It is what I feel at that moment. If I see a situation, I generally prefer something that comes to mind. No rocket science, just my gut feeling. Every youngster who is coming in is showing character. I can’t be more happy when I see a youngster comes in and puts his hand up. A big thank you to everyone. The T20 WC would be here. There would be bigger numbers then,” Pandya added.
After the series against West Indies, India next will play the T20 series against Ireland starting from August 18. Jasprit Bumrah will lead the second-string team India.
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