Hardik Pandya took over as captain of Team India in the series-deciding ODI against West Indies on Tuesday, after skipper Rohit Sharma was rested.
The series-deciding ODI match against the West Indies was played on Tuesday, and all-rounder Hardik Pandya assumed captaincy duties because Virat Kohli and skipper Rohit Sharma were both rested. Despite the disaster in the second ODI, the visitors decided to take a chance, and it paid off handsomely as India scored a crushing victory by 200 runs. India reached 351/5 in 50 overs thanks to the outstanding 143-run opening stand between Shubman Gill (85) and Ishan Kishan (77), along with Hardik Pandya’s score of 70*. In the end, the hosts were sent packing for 151.
Hardik, who had been having trouble scoring runs in recent games, looked sharp in the third ODI, smashing 70* off 52 balls with five sixes and four boundaries. Hanuma Vihari, an Indian batsman, commended Hardik after hearing about his performance and compared it to that of previous captain MS Dhoni.
“That was an innings in the mould of MS Dhoni. At first, he took his time. When he was batting down the order, MS used to do it. I believe the change began when he was batting higher in the order for his team, the Gujarat Titans. He occasionally batted No. 4, No. 3. It was evident today that he wants to take on that role, according to Vihari, who spoke to JioCinema.
He played really well-paced innings. Over the years, Hardik Pandya has truly developed. He wants to accept accountability. Now that he is a senior player, he serves as the white-ball team’s vice captain. It’s encouraging to see him take responsibility, he continued.
India made a great start when given the opportunity to bat first thanks to openers Shubman Gill (85) and Ishan Kishan (77), who put up a record-breaking partnership of 143 runs. In addition to them, stand-in skipper Hardik and Sanju Samson both scored 51 and 70* runs, respectively, to help India reach a sizable total.
The chase was never in doubt, as Mukesh Kumar’s (3/30 in 7 overs) three-wicket burst during the first Powerplay shattered West Indies’ hopes as they were dismissed for 151 in just 35.3 overs.
With a 55-run partnership for the ninth wicket, Gudakesh Motie (39 not out) and Alzarri Joseph (26) postponed the inevitable.
The series finale was a lopsided contest, with wickets falling to Shardul Thakur (4/37 in 6.3 overs), Jaydev Unadkat (1/16 in 5 overs), and Kuldeep Yadav (2/25 in 8 overs).
