The Indian batters faltered when it really counted, as a resolute West Indies facet handed captain Pandya his first bilateral sequence defeat, securing a cushty eight-wicket victory within the fifth and ultimate T20I in Florida on Sunday.
“We lost the momentum after the 10 overs when I came in and couldn’t capitalise on the situation. I believe we are gonna challenge ourselves. We try to get better. In hindsight, it is fine. We don’t need to explain much. I know how the boys are within the group. We have enough time to figure it out,” Pandya stated on the post-match presentation.
“Losing is good at times. On the positive side, we have done a lot of learnings. The boys showed character.
Credit to them. They kept coming and tried something new. It is part of the process. It is what I feel at that moment. If I see a situation, I generally prefer something that comes to mind,” Pandya stated.
“No rocket science, just my gut feel. Every youngster who is coming in, is showing character. I can’t be more happy when I see a youngster come in and put his hand up. A big thank you to everyone. The T20 World Cup would be here. There would be bigger numbers then,” Pandya added.
With a 3-2 sequence victory, West Indies emerged triumphant, because of a powerful unbeaten knock of 85 off 55 balls by opener Brandon King, which made gentle work of the goal in simply 18 overs.
A mere day after showcasing a batting clinic on a pitch that appeared tailored for them, the Indian batters, aside from Suryakumar Yadav’s gritty but efficient 61 off 45 balls, struggled and will solely muster a sub-par whole of 165 for 9, having opted to bat on a worn floor that had progressively slowed down.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com