'Team India lost in Rajkot because of Hardik Pandya', former wicketkeeper lashes out at star all-rounder

Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel feels that Hardik Pandya's approach was something that went against India during their 26-run loss to England in the third T20 here on Tuesday. According to him, Pandya's slow innings were one of the main reasons behind India's failure to chase down 172 runs. When Pandya came in to handle the innings, India was in early trouble at 48/3 in the powerplay. However, instead of taking the scoreboard ahead, the Indian all-rounder struggled for momentum and played a lot of dot balls.

Though he tried to accelerate in the final overs and hit sixes of late, India had to do a lot in the final moments after he was dismissed for 40 off 35 balls in the 19th over. Pandya's former Mumbai Indians teammate Patel criticized the all-rounder's innings, particularly pointing out that he took a lot of time to settle down. Speaking on Star Sports, Patel said, "I felt when you are taking your time, you have to adjust to the pace and bounce of the pitch. But you can't take 20-25 balls to settle down. It also puts pressure on the other batsmen. If you don't want to play big shots, it's okay, but you have to keep rotating the strike. You can't play three or four dot balls in a row."

Washington Sundar's slow innings of 6 off 15 balls further increased the pressure on the Indian batting unit. Patel pointed out that Pandya's inability to rotate the strike not only halted India's momentum but also forced other batsmen to take undue risks. "You can see Hardik Pandya scoring 40 off 35 balls, but there are many dots in his innings that put pressure on other batsmen as well. This is something India can think about. You take your time, yes, but even with a low target, you have to keep the scoreboard moving," Patel said.

Despite Pandya being India's top scorer, the team struggled to mount a serious challenge against England's disciplined bowling attack. Patel's comments have raised significant questions about India's approach to chasing targets in T20s, especially when a set batsman is unable to maintain the required scoring rate. With the series still alive, India will look to re-evaluate their batting strategies and make the necessary adjustments for the next game.