'Chahal stopped after 2 wickets in an over': Hardik Pandya's captaincy comes into question

Hardik Pandya-led Indian cricket team started off their campaign in the five-match T20I series against West Indies with a loss by 4 runs at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad. The visitors were not able to chase down a total of 150 runs and got reduced to a score of 145/9 by the Windies bowlers in the second innings. Big names like Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik, and Sanju Samson failed to deliver on the big stage and got out cheaply for low scores. 

3 things you need to know 

• West Indies took a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20I series 
• Team India batter Tilak Varma impressed on his debut and played an innings of 39 runs off 22 balls 
• This was Team India's first loss against Windies in a T20I international after August 2022 

ALSO READ | 37 needed in 30 balls with Hardik and Sanju at crease, still India fail to chase down WI's target

India vs West Indies: A question mark on Hardik Pandya's captaincy?

(Team India skipper Hardik Pandya walks back in disappointment during IND vs WI 1st T20  / Image: AP)

Former Indian cricket team opener Aakash Chopra has heavily criticised Hardik Pandya's tactics while speaking on his YouTube channel. Chopra believes that Hardik didn't-handle the Indian bowling resources well which became the main reason for the team's loss in the first T20I. Aakash said: 

India didn't start that well with the ball. Then came Yuzi Chahal and he picked up two wickets in an over. After that, he was stopped. In my opinion, if Yuzi Chahal didn't bowl four overs in yesterday's match despite taking two wickets in his first over, you missed a trick. 

The Indian cricket team didn't start off well with the ball, however, leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal helped his side come back and removed Windies batters Brandon King and Kyle Mayers in one over. Though Chahal didn't complete his quota of four overs and ended up bowling only three overs. 

Aakash Chopra added 

I was a little disappointed because you were holding back his three overs. You could have dismissed Nicholas Pooran because he bowls very well to lefties but you stopped him. You said you will get him to bowl later. It was slightly surprising.

ALSO READ | WATCH: Chahal walks out without permission, Dravid orders him to return but umpire says NO

The Indian cricket team played with a bowling combination of four frontline bowlers and two all-rounders in the form of Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel. With the T20 World Cup all set to be played in June next year in the Caribbean, the Indian team must finalise their core bowling line up otherwise they can face yet another disappointment at the major T20I event.