Hardik Pandya’s captaincy has come under the microscope after India lost a five-match T20I series for the first time ever as they lost the fifth and final T20I to West Indies on Sunday, August 13 in Florida to go down 2-3.
After losing the first two matches, India crawled back in the series by winning the next two encounters to set up a big finale. However, despite choosing to bat first after winning the toss, Indian innings were a failure.
They posted 165/9 with Suryakumar Yadav scoring 61 runs and Romario Shepherd taking 4/31. Then Brandon King’s 85* and his 107-run partnership with Nicholas Pooran (47) was enough for West Indies to win the game by 8 wickets and pocket the series 2-3.
Pandya, who was leading the team in the absence of Rohit Sharma, was criticized for his captaincy decisions throughout the series, especially for his handling of spinners, Akshar Patel in particular.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra said it almost seemed like India was playing with 10 players. Akshar bowled just one over during India’s defeat against the West Indies in the fifth T20I in Lauderhill, Florida.
He went on to say that India did not have a plan to tackle West Indies wicket-keeping batter Nicholas Pooran if he came up the order.
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“Akshar Patel was bowling the first over in the last match and this match, Axar Patel bowled one over in total. The way Axar Patel has been used, we really don't know. It almost seems like we played with 10 players.
You are saying that you will get Kuldeep Yadav to bowl if Nicholas Pooran comes, or else you will get Axar to complete his overs. What will you do if Nicholas Pooran comes up the order? He came up the order when Arshdeep Singh dismissed Kyle Mayers once again. Akshar Patel is not being used at all,” said Chopra on his YouTube channel.
Chopra said he had no idea about Pandya’s bowling changes in the fifth and final T20I, where he used eight bowlers with Tilak Varma and Yashasvi Jaiswal also getting to bowl.
“You have made him (Mukesh) a old-ball bowler. Arshdeep Singh was bowled two overs in which he picked up a wicket but he didn't get overs after that. I have got no idea whatsoever about the bowling changes and I won't even try to explain,” said Chopra.
