Table of Contents
India registered a convincing victory over West Indies in the third T20I of the five-match series and kept their hopes alive after suffering defeats in the first two encounters. Although what should have been a celebratory moment for Team India was spoiled due to a controversial incident from the match where Hardik Pandya smashed a six to finish the game, denying Tilak Varma a well-deserved half-century. The event has ignited a fiery debate among cricket enthusiasts and experts alike.
It is worth mentioning that Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak played exceptionally well for the Men in Blue and led the charge for the visitors to guide them to a convincing victory. Suryakumar hammered a brilliant 83 off 44 deliveries supported by ten fours and four sixes.
On the other hand, Tilak also displayed his exceptional skills and determination, contributing a commendable 49 runs off 37 balls. However, what could have been the young left-hander’s second consecutive fifty in the T20I format was denied due to a six by Pandya towards the end of the game.
Also WATCH: Suryakumar Yadav gifts a jersey to ‘special fan’ after his match-winning knock against West Indies
Pandya smashes a six and leaves Tilak stranded on 49 runs:
It all happened when India required just two runs off thirteen deliveries, and Tilak was tantalizingly close to achieving his fifty, but Pandya took matters into his own hands and launched a six to finish the game in India’s favour. Although the maximum by Pandya clinched victory for India, it left Tilak stranded at the other end with just one run shy of his fifty. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from fans and experts alike.
Mast win in a must win!#INDvsWI #INDvWIAdFreeonFanCode pic.twitter.com/NQsoXEU3W6
— FanCode (@FanCode) August 8, 2023
Aakash Chopra expresses his views on Pandya’s six that denied Tilak his half-century:
Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra also minced no words in expressing his discontent over Pandya’s decision. Chopra argued that Pandya should have shown more consideration for the young cricketer’s achievement and allowed him to reach the fifty mark.
Chopra emphasized on his official YouTube channel that the Net Run Rate (NRR) was not a factor at that point, and with ample deliveries remaining, Pandya could have allowed Tilak the opportunity to reach his milestone.
“Tilak Varma, outstanding. First Indian to get 30+ scores in his first three international innings. He scored a fifty in his previous games and was close to another this time too, in fact, it should’ve been a fifty. His temperament is good, his range is good, he was aggressive at first and then was happy to play second-fiddle to Suryakumar,” said Chopra.
“Hardik comes to bat, tells him it’s important to remain not out, don’t get carried away. Then Hardik hits aggressive hits… you don’t need NRR, it would’ve made no difference. He told Tilak to go easy, but tried to hit big shots himself. You needed 2 runs off 13 balls, and he smashed a six. I’m sure they want to build a culture that doesn’t care about individual milestones. But even a not out doesn’t really matter here, even if you were out there, you still had 12 balls there to score 2 runs. Tilak was denied a chance to score a fifty. That’s just my opinion, though,” he added.
