Gautam Gambhir, a former India international, was not pleased with Hardik Pandya for his decision-making in the 2nd T20i vs NZ.
The former Indian opener criticised captain Hardik Pandya for not fulfilling Chahal’s quota of four overs. Given that he is currently India’s top spinner in the game’s shortest format, he claimed that the decision was absurd.
Yuzvendra Chahal, a spin magician, was only handed two over to bowl during the second T20I match against New Zealand in Lucknow. The 32-year-old took the crucial wicket of Finn Allen while only allowing four runs to be scored from his 2 overs.
Gautam Gambhir comments on Hardik Pandya’s decision
After the match Gautam Gambhir said on Star Sports:
“Massive surprise. I can’t answer this question, that too on a wicket like this. Chahal is your number one spinner the T20 format. Just asking him to bowl two overs and in that he got the important wicket of Finn Allen and then not using his full quota of overs makes no sense to me,”
It’s interesting that Chahal wasn’t given the opportunity even though a part-time spinner named Deepak Hooda got to finish his four overs requirement. Arshdeep Singh and Shivam Mavi should be given opportunities to perform, according to Gambhir, but the skipper also needs to save some overs for Chahal.
“Yes, you want to give young guys another opportunity like Arshdeep Singh or Shivam Mavi. But then you could have bowled Chahal in the last over as well, or earlier. So I feel he missed a trick. He could have got New Zealand bowled for maybe 80 or 85 and on this kind of pitch, you don’t want to let the opposition off the hook. Massive surprise, asking Hooda to bowl four overs but not Chahal,”
said Gambhir.
Even so, India claimed victory by six wickets to even the three-match T20I series. In a game with few runs scored, Suryakumar Yadav was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 26 off 31 deliveries.
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