The T20 leg of the India vs West Indies series commenced with an electrifying match on Friday, resulting in a victory for West Indies by a margin of four runs. Unfortunately, the squad led by Hardik Pandya experienced a complete collapse, with only one player, Tilak Verma, showcasing determination with his score of 39 runs. Notably, former Indian cricketer Akash Chopra criticized the captaincy of Pandya and expressed his belief that the team “missed the trick.”
“India didn’t have a great start with the ball. However, Yuzvendra Chahal came in and made an impact by taking two wickets in a single over. Despite this early success, he was not utilized further. In my opinion, it was a missed opportunity to not have Chahal bowl his full quota of four overs in yesterday’s match,” Akash Chopra stated on his YouTube channel as quoted by NDTV.
Chopra further expressed his disappointment with the decision to hold back Chahal, especially against Nicholas Pooran, who is known to struggle against him. Chopra remarked, “You said you would get him to bowl later, but that was slightly surprising.”
Too many options- A blessing or a curse?
Akash Chopra also pointed out strategic errors in the team’s approach, emphasizing the need for using the right combination of bowlers against specific West Indies batsmen. He questioned whether having too many options was a boon or a bane.
“Kuldeep Yadav bowled his full quota of overs, while Axar Patel only bowled two overs. This decision was likely due to the fact that Patel has struggled against left-handed batsmen like Nicholas Pooran. It’s interesting to consider whether having numerous options is actually a disadvantage,” Chopra stated.
The opening batsmen, Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill, failed to provide their team with a strong start. However, Tilak Verma managed to form partnerships with Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya. Unfortunately, consistent wicket losses prevented the team from reaching a substantial total, and they finished with a score of 145/9 against a target of 150.