India’s skipper, Hardik Pandya, has taken responsibility for his team’s defeat in the decisive match against West Indies on August 13th in Florida. In the final T20I of the 5-game series held at Lauderhill, India fell short in defending a target of 166 runs. Despite a lacklustre total, India struggled to rein in Brandon King and Nicholas Pooran, who led the charge for West Indies in the second innings.
During the post-match presentation, Pandya admitted his batting failure, which he believes shifted the momentum towards West Indies. His 18-ball stint yielded only 14 runs before he was dismissed in the 17th over, having managed just one-six in his innings.
Pandya reflected, “If you see we lost that period post the ten overs. I came there, took my time, and was not able to capitalise. I think the boys played well but I failed to play accordingly at that point in time.”
India displayed early promise in the second innings when Arshdeep Singh dismissed opener Kyle Mayers, but West Indies dominated with the bat thereafter. Despite the looming rain, Pandya’s attempt to utilise his pacers early on backfired, as West Indies controlled proceedings.
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Interestingly, Pandya chose not to use Axar Patel in the first ten overs against Nicholas Pooran, who was at the crease. However, this strategy didn’t hinder West Indies’ dominance. Both King and Pooran neutralized the threat posed by Kuldeep Yadav and attacked the other bowlers.
A lengthy interruption disrupted the game’s flow during the 13th over, and though Pooran was dismissed upon the restart, returning player Shai Hope ensured a convincing victory for West Indies in the series decider.
Pandya emphasised the learning opportunity in these matches, stating, “These games challenge us. One series result won’t define our longer journey, which doesn’t need much explanation. The team’s commitment is commendable.”
With an eye on the T20 World Cup 2024, Pandya acknowledged that losses contribute to growth, remarking, “Losing teaches you valuable lessons. It doesn’t hide the shortcomings.”
This marked the first instance of India losing a T20I series under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy. Equally notable, it had been six years since West Indies had last triumphed over India in a T20I series.
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