Team India faltered against New Zealand in the first T20I in Ranchi, losing the game by 21 runs to go down 0-1 in the three-match series. Chasing the target of 177, the hosts had a horrendous start as they lost their top order in the first four overs. The duo of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya tried to rescue the team with a 68-run stand off just 51 deliveries. But once the partnership was breached, India’s batting scattered despite Washington Sundar getting his maiden half-century.
Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik felt that the partnership between Pandya and Suryakumar was a crucial one. Had it lasted at least four more overs, the results could have panned out in India’s favour.
“What makes the difference is when you bat at that stage and score around 25-30 runs, you always back yourself to get the last 50 runs in the last 4 overs. That’s how middle-order batters think these days. And even with a Washington Sundar and the bowlers backing up with him, he managed to get 30-35 runs. So, imagine two batters batting there, you would back yourself to get those fifty.
“So, that’s where they made a mistake. Suryakumar Yadav’s was a very soft dismissal. At the stage, having batted so well, he would know that if India had to win, he had to bat through a little longer. But it was a chipped shot that mattered nothing at that stage,” Dinesh Karthik told Cricbuzz.
“I think, Hardik Pandya, was a match-up that was brought in because Sundar would’ve come in. Santner stopped himself and gave it to Bracewell. But Hardik felt for the trap because he thought he had to hit the six. That’s understandable because the run rate was getting higher. But Surya was a critical wicket at that point in time. That partnership for 4 more overs would have made the difference in that innings,” he added.
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The next game in Lucknow on Sunday becomes a must-win for Hardik Pandya & Co if they want to keep the series alive. On the other hand, the 21-run victory was a terrific comeback by the Kiwis after suffering a whitewash in the ODIs and they will look to seek revenge in the T20Is.
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