In the first T20I between India and the West Indies. Jason Holder’s dismissal of Hardik Pandya, in the opinion of Aakash Chopra, was the pivotal play.
On Thursday, August 3, in Tarouba, Trinidad, the Windies elected to bat first and gave the Men in Blue a 150-run goal. The hosts then held the visitors to 145/9 to win by a slim margin of four runs and take a 1-0 series lead after five games.
Chopra claimed in a video evaluation of the match that Holder (2/19 in four overs) deservedly won Player of the Match, citing the following justifications:
“Which player won the game? Given that Jason Holder’s dismissal of Hardik Pandya was timed well. I’d say the decision to give him the trophy was the right one. It was the turning point in the game.”
The renowned analyst explained why India was in a good spot going into the final five overs of their innings:
“After the pitch, the ball entered the field and struck the stumps. Given that India needed to score 7.5 runs per over to win after 16 overs, the manner Hardik was batting and how long he was batting gave the impression that you had the match in your hands.
Chopra emphasized that Hardik Pandya and Sanju Samson appeared prepared to send the guests to leave before Holder altered the game’s dynamics, noting:
Sanju Samson was at the other end, and the captain was there. One big over seemed to be all it would take for you to win the match, but Jason Holder was absolutely fantastic. Jason Holder is, therefore, without a doubt, the Player of the Match.
With six wickets in hand, India needed 37 runs off the final five overs. However, the game’s outcome was altered by Pandya’s dismissal and Samson’s run-out in the same over, and they ultimately lost.
“Hardik Pandya looked alright, but there was no batter at No. 8 when those two wickets fell,” said Aakash Chopra
India suffered greatly, according to Aakash Chopra. From the lack of a player who can use the willow skillfully at No. 8. He declared:
“Hardik Pandya looked fine, but there was no batter at No. 8 when those two wickets dropped. The other story is that. There is no guy outside the squad who you can send at No. 8 and who can bowl a little, so the Indian team is unable to do anything.
The former Indian opener bemoaned the lack of an all-around player like Deepak Chahar or Shardul Thakur in the lineup. Due to the lack of batting depth, he said, the top order will be under a little more strain throughout the entire series.
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