• West Indies defeated India in a nail-biting thriller in 2nd T20I.

  • Fans on social media heavily criticized Hardik Pandya's captaincy following India's loss.

Twitter lashes out at Hardik Pandya as India suffers a narrow defeat in the 2nd T20I against West Indies
West Indies beat India in the 2nd T20I (Image Source: Twitter)

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The second T20I of the five-match series between West Indies and India witnessed a nail-biting contest at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Sunday. The hosts ended up claiming a thrilling win to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

Batting first Team India posted a total of 152/7 in their allotted 20 overs. India’s innings saw a mix of contributions from their top-order batters. Ishan Kishan showed some promising form, scoring 27 runs off 23 balls, including 2 fours and 2 sixes. Tilak Varma emerged as the highest scorer for India, playing a commendable knock of 51 runs off 41 balls, comprising 5 fours and 1 six. However, the rest of the batting lineup struggled to make significant impacts as West Indies bowlers kept them under check.

For the hosts, Akeal Hosein and Alzarri Joseph showcased an impressive bowling performance, each claiming two wickets and conceding 29 and 28 runs respectively. Romario Shepherd also made an impact with two wickets, giving away 28 runs.

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Fans slam Hardik Pandya over his captaincy

Chasing a target of 153, the Caribbeans faced early hiccups with some quick dismissals in the top order. Nicholas Pooran emerged as the standout performer, blasting a sensational 67 runs off just 40 deliveries, smashing 6 fours and 4 sixes. Rovman Powell and Shimron Hetmyer chipped in with crucial contributions of 21 and 22 runs respectively.

Hardik Pandya performed well with the bowl, registering a brilliant spell of 3 wickets for 35 runs in his four overs. Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal also managed to pick up crucial wickets to keep the pressure on the West Indies batsmen.

Fans on social media heavily criticized Hardik’s captaincy following India’s loss. Despite Chahal’s crucial dismissals of Jason Holder (0) and Hetmyer (22), which brought India back into contention, Pandya’s decision-making came under scrutiny. With 24 runs still needed, Pandya chose not to rely on Chahal’s bowling, instead opting for pacers Arshdeep Singh and Mukesh Kumar. Surprisingly, Axar Patel was not given a chance to bowl, while Ravi Bishnoi‘s four overs proved expensive, conceding 31 runs.

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In the end, West Indies managed to achieve the target, thanks to a resilient batting display from Akeal, who scored 16 runs off 10 balls, and Joseph, who provided valuable support with 10 runs off 8 balls, including a crucial six.

Here is how Twitter reacted:

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AKSHAT GAUR
Akshat is the Sr. Content Strategist at CricketTimes.com. With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, Akshat has honed his skills over 6 years, working with various media outlets, publications, and organizations to deliver high-quality content that informs, educates, and entertains audiences. He is just another cricket fan who’s grown up watching the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. Cricket runs in his veins. Cover drive is his favorite sight, and a ball meeting the middle of the bat is his favorite sound. You can write to him at akshat.gaur@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter, Facebook & Linkedin.