India vs England: Hardik Pandya comes in the firing lines for India's loss

In the third T20I of the five-match series between India and England, the visitors emerged victorious by 26 runs at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. India, who chose to bowl first for the third consecutive match, managed to restrict England to a modest total of 171 runs. The Indian bowlers, led by Hardik Pandya, kept things tight and didn’t allow the England batsmen to settle. Pandya was particularly effective, claiming 2 wickets for 33 runs in his four overs, providing crucial breakthroughs in the middle overs. However, chasing down the target of 172, India’s batting struggled to gain momentum. Despite a solid knock of 40 runs from Hardik Pandya off 35 balls, the rest of the Indian batting lineup failed to deliver.

India could only manage to put up 145/9 in their 20 overs, falling short by 26 runs. England’s bowlers maintained discipline throughout, never allowing India to get back into the game. The match marked India’s first defeat in the series, as they had previously won the first two encounters. The result also showcased England’s ability to recover from a middle-order slump and defend a total effectively. With the win, England leveled the series 2-1, setting up an intriguing final two matches. Pandya’s all-round performance was the highlight for India, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the hosts from falling short in their run chase.

Former Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel, who played alongside Hardik Pandya at Mumbai Indians for several years, was critical of his former teammate’s performance in the third T20I against England. Patel felt that Hardik took too long to settle at the crease, which disrupted the flow of the Indian innings. He noted that while Pandya’s knock of 40 runs was valuable, it came at a slow pace, and the pressure of dot deliveries started to mount as the innings progressed.

Patel highlighted that Hardik's slow start not only hindered his own rhythm but also increased the burden on his batting partners in the middle overs. The string of dot balls piled pressure on the others, making it difficult for India to keep up with the required run rate. In T20 cricket, where every ball counts, such lapses can be costly, and Patel believed that a more aggressive approach from Hardik would have been more beneficial for the team. Despite his all-round contributions, including a solid performance with the ball, Patel suggested that Pandya's slow batting tempo in this match was a key factor in India's failure to chase down the target.

“I thought when you are taking your time you want to get used to the pace and bounce of the pitch. But you cannot take 20-25 balls to get settled. So, that put pressure on the other batters as well. If you don’t want to play those big shots, that’s okay, but you still have to keep on rotating the strike. You can’t play three or four dot balls in a row," said former Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel during the post-match analysis. 

"And you might just see Hardik Pandya scoring 40 off 35 balls, but there are a number of dots in his innings that put pressure on the other batters as well. So, I think that’s something which India can think of. You take your time. Yes, it’s a low score, but you still have to keep rotating the strike as well with it,” he added.

Hardik Pandya’s knock in the third T20I was uncharacteristic, as he faced 12 dot balls during his 35-ball 40. Despite his valuable contribution, his slow start and inability to find the boundary often put pressure on his batting partners. In the penultimate over of the run-chase, Hardik’s innings came to an end when he was dismissed by Jamie Overton, caught at long-off.

The dismissal came at a crucial juncture in the game, and with India falling short by 26 runs, it proved to be a key moment in the match. India’s batting woes were evident, as the chase never quite gained momentum. With the series now poised at 2-1 in India’s favour, both teams will look to bounce back in the next match. The fourth T20I will be held in Pune on January 31, promising another thrilling encounter between the two sides.