The Indian cricket team had a really tough day with both the bat and ball in the opening game of the ongoing three-match T20I series against New Zealand, as the hosts suffered a 21-run defeat at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi on Friday (January 27).
Team India had first leaked a lot of runs as the Black Caps went on to post the challenging total of 176/6 in the 20 overs, and then they were on the verge of facing a massive defeat before Washington Sundar’s fifty helped them avoid embarrassment in the first T20I in Ranchi.
After India’s defeat in the first T20I, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra questioned Hardik Pandya and his team’s strategy, especially with the ball, as he wasn’t happy with the skipper bowling the first over. He said that Arshdeep Singh should’ve opened the bowling for India against New Zealand.
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel: “We thought Finn Allen was a walking wicket, that you will dismiss him easily, but that did not happen. Why was Hardik Pandya bowling the first over? I feel Arshdeep should have bowled the first over.”
He added, “Allen hit three fours in the first over. When you hit three fours, your confidence grows a lot. Then you are not afraid of anyone and you say that you will hit. Arshdeep is not looking in that good form, that's the other part of the story.”
Meanwhile, Chopra also felt Shivam Mavi came into the attack very late in the first match, while hailing Sundar as a genuine all-rounder and saying that he was absolutely outstanding in Ranchi.
He further explained, “After that, the way the bowling was rotated. They got Mavi extremely late. I know the ball was turning a little but he could have been brought in slightly earlier. Hardik bowled three overs for 33 runs. Sundar was absolutely outstanding. Washi Sundar is actually a genuine all-rounder.”
The cricket pundit also said that Arshdeep Singh (1/51 in 4 overs) and Umran Malik (0/16 in 1 over) proved expensive for the Men in Blue in the first T20I against the Black Caps in Ranchi.
Chopra signed off by saying, “The 27 runs that were conceded in the last over, including a no-ball off the first ball, 27 runs are a lot. Arshdeep is proving slightly expensive towards the end of the innings although it was always the guy's strength. It is something that we should be talking about. Umran Malik didn't get much bowling and whatever he got, he was hit for boundaries.”
