Hardik Pandya “gets ready” to assert himself with the ball at the World Cup, saying that he is “being a turtle at the moment, not a rabbit.”
In the second ODI against the West Indies in Barbados, India experimented by benching veteran players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The Men in Blue, who were given the opportunity to bat first, were dismissed for 181 runs in less than 41 overs, giving the West Indies a modest 182-run target to chase down in 36.4 overs.
Shai Hope, the captain of the Windies, set the tone for the team by scoring an unbeaten 63 off 80 deliveries, and Keacy Carty contributed with a crucial 48* off 65 deliveries as their team went on to win the match by six wickets. After Shardul Thakur’s first hits, the pair combined for a 91 run fifth wicket stand, while Kuldeep Yadav’s one wicket reduced West Indies to 91/4 in 17 overs.
Hardik Pandya led the bowling attack for India, which used a total of seven bowlers. The stand-in skipper and bowler Hardik managed to keep things under control in his 6.4 overs despite being unable to pick up a wicket.
The ODI World Cup, which will be held in India in October and November of this year, is something the all-rounder stated he is preparing for by leading the attack and choosing to bowl as often as possible. Pandya added that he is not hurrying anything right now and expressed his optimism that the megaevent will go well for him.
“I need to complete more overs as I prepare for the World Cup. presently being a turtle rather than a bunny. At the post-game presentation ceremony, Pandya expressed his hopes for a successful World Cup.
Pandya’s back problem forced him to miss time in the past, which to some extent had an impact on his bowling. The all-rounder made a stunning comeback in IPL 2022, touching 140 kph on numerous occasions, and hasn’t looked back since. The Gujarat Titans’ first-year victory in the tournament, which Pandya also oversaw, put him ahead of his colleagues in terms of his potential for leadership.
Pandya, on the other hand, had little success with the bat as Jayden Seales bowled him for 7 off 14 balls.
West Indies’ all-around performance in the meantime has given a hitherto lifeless series a surprising boost of energy. The Windies took a beating in the Tests, which India won 1-0 after the second and final game was drawn due to rain. The opening 50-over match was followed by yet another lacklustre showing from the hosts. India quickly finished off the Windies innings with just 23 overs under the leadership of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja.
Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill put on a good 90-run opening stand, but West Indies put on a terrific display in the second ODI and put India on the back foot.
Pandya spoke on the series-deciding game, which will be played on Tuesday in Trinidad: “They will be tested, and we will be tested now that the series is tied at one. Both spectators and players will find the upcoming game fascinating.
