'If you have made enough runs...': Bhogle gives his verdict on Hardik-Tilak 50 controversy

India won their first T20 series match against the West Indies on Tuesday, August 8, 2023. The team had been losing two consecutive matches against the Windies in the t20 series of five matches. WI leads the series 2-1. India vs West Indies' 4th T20 match will take place on Saturday, August 12, 2023.

3 things you need to know

• India won the match by seven wickets
• Suryakumar Yadav scored 83 runs off 44 balls
• West Indies won the toss, decided to bat and made 159/5 in 20 overs

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What happened during India vs West Indies 3rd T20 match?

India won the first match of the series by a seven-wicket margin over the West Indies. The West Indies batted first and managed to score 159 runs for the loss of five wickets. In response to this challenge, India demonstrated their brilliance by scoring 164 runs for three wickets in 17.5 overs, clinching the victory. The remarkable performances of Tilak Varma, who scored 49 runs, and Suryakumar Yadav, who contributed 83 runs, were critical in propelling the side to victory.

With only two runs needed off 14 balls to win, the moment came in the fourth delivery of the 17th over when Hardik Pandya displayed his distinct style and ended the game with a six to take team India home. However, Tilak Varma who was batting on 49 remained not out and Hardik Pandya's last ball six didn't go well with the fans as they criticized the Indian T20I skipper for not letting Varma achieve the milestone of a half-century.

Tilak Varma needed one run to score his fifty and Hardik Pandya hit a six to win the game.

Your thoughts?🤔#INDvsWI #WIvsIND #TilakVarma #HardikPandyapic.twitter.com/gBdIDjps3e

— Abdullah Neaz (@Abdullah__Neaz) August 8, 2023

This incident caused a split among cricket fans and experts, resulting in two distinct camps. The first set of fans backed Captain Hardik Pandya's actions, while the second group of fans criticised Pandya's behavior during the incident.

Also Read: Rohit Sharma avoids 'big controversy' when asked to choose Pakistan players | WATCH

A famous cricket expert made a huge statement about the issue

Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma were recently involved in a controversy during the third match between India and the West Indies. Respected cricket analyst, Harsha Bhogle, has commented on the situation. India defeated West Indies in the match by a score of seven wickets on August 8 at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.

I am puzzled by the discussion around Tilak Varma missing out on a 50. It isn't a landmark, in fact other than a century (which is rare), there are no landmarks in T20 cricket. We are far too obsessed with individual achievement within a team sport. I don't believe 50s should be…

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) August 10, 2023

By claiming that hitting the milestone of 50 runs is not a defining requirement in the game's shortest format, Bhogle showed his support for Pandya. He continued by highlighting the value of a player's capacity for rapid run accumulation while downplaying the impact of stats like average and strike rate.