Hardik Pandya wants flatter pitches in ongoing T20 World Cup
What's the story
Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has expressed his desire for flatter pitches in the ongoing T20 World Cup. The team has been winning comprehensively but at a pace lower than their usual T20 tempo. Despite this, they managed to score 209 against Namibia, marking their biggest win in T20 World Cups. Pandya made the statement while receiving his Player of the Match award after India's victory over Namibia by 93 runs. He scored a fifty besides taking two wickets.
Pitch analysis
'Two back-to-back pitches haven't been batting-friendly'
Pandya noted that the pitches in their first two matches weren't exactly batting-friendly. He said, "Two back-to-back pitches haven't been batting-friendly. Wicket was holding a bit today. You just adapt and let your skill-set work." His statement reflects India's struggle to adjust to the pitch conditions while still managing to secure wins in their opening matches of the tournament.
Player agreement
Kishan agrees with Pandya
Ishan Kishan, who was batting during India's match against Namibia, agreed with Pandya's observation about the pitch not being easy to bat on. He credited the Namibian bowlers for slowing down their innings in the latter half. "In both the wickets, I feel it was a bit different from what we expected to happen," Kishan said at a press conference after the match.
Learning experience
A good learning, Kishan said
Kishan viewed the challenges in their first two matches as a lesson in adaptability. He said, "So yeah, it was a good learning." He added that if another team does something similar, they could use the crease more or do something different to irritate the bowler. This shows India's willingness to learn and adapt from their experiences in this tournament.
Knock
Pandya punctures Namibia with 28-ball 52
Pandya scored a 27-ball fifty before falling to Gerhard Erasmus off the next ball. He scored 52 runs, a knock laced with four fours and four sixes. With the ball, he managed 2/21 as India bowled well to hurt Namibia in a 210-run chase. In ICC T20 World Cup history, Pandya has amassed 414 runs from 26 matches (18 innings) at 29.57, as per ESPNcricinfo. This was his 3rd fifty in T20 World Cup.