Pandya rues loss of quick wickets after narrow four-run defeat vs West Indies in 1st T20I

T20 skipper Hardik Pandya insists batsmen falling in quick succession caused India’s loss in first of five-match T20I series against WI at Trinidad venue

India T20 skipper Hardik Pandya blamed the loss of quick wickets in the middle overs as the reason for his side falling short in the first T20I and suffering a narrow four-run defeat to West Indies in the first game of the five-match series.

Restricting West Indies to 149-6 in their allotted 20 overs after the hosts won the toss and elected to bat first, India seemed to have recovered from a horrendous start after losing both openers for 28 runs, with Tilak Varma (39) taking them to 77 before Hardik Pandya (19) and Sanju Samson (12) shared a 36-run partnership to take them to 113-4.

But India lost both Pandya and Samson at the same score of 113 within three deliveries and were eventually restricted to 145-9 in 20 overs. Pandya was bowled by Jason Holder (2-19) while Samson was run out. Pandya said losing a couple of wickets in a row caused India’s downfall in the match.

“Throughout the game, we were in control. I have always believed that in T20 cricket if you lose wickets, it becomes difficult to chase down a total. When we lost a couple of wickets [in a row]...it cost us,” said Pandya during the post-match presentation ceremony on Thursday. The India captain said his team made mistakes which cost them the match.

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Pandya said the decision to include three spinners was because of the playing conditions. India went into the match with Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel with Arshdeep Singh and Mukesh Kumar as frontline pacers and the skipper as the medium-pacer all-rounder. 

“The bowling combination [of three spinners] was down to the conditions. We wanted Yuzi [Chahal] and Kuldeep to play together, and Axar brings batting [power],” said Pandya, who felt it was fantastic for medium pacer Mukesh to make his debut for India. Pandya was also pleased with the batting of middle-order batsman Tilak Varma, who top-scored with a blazing 39 off 22 deliveries on his India debut.

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