'When We Lost Couple of Wickets..': Hardik Pandya Reveals Where India Lost the Plot vs WI in 1st T20I

India suffered a 4-run defeat against West Indies in a closely fought contest at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in Tarouba on Thursday, August 3. The hosts picked up a narrow win and took a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20I series as the Men in Blue were guilty of giving away a match they had in control.

At one point in time, India needed 37 runs in 30 balls with Sanju Samson and Hardik Pandya at strike. Still, when Pandya was dismissed at 19, and Samson had to depart after getting run out courtesy of a stunning direct hit from Kyle Mayers, it all went downhill for the visitors.

West Indies scored 149/6 after batting first and managed to restrict India to 145/9, ensuring that the Men in Blue tasted a defeat in their 200th T20I fixture. Debutant Tilak Varma was the top scorer for his side at 39 runs, while Mukesh Kumar also impressed on his maiden T20I outing but the Windies were more clinical in the moments that mattered.

Ind vs WI, 1st T20I Highlights: West Indies Beat India by 4 Runs to Take 1-0 Lead

Reflecting on the result, Indian captain Hardik admitted that it was a disappointing result however he said that a young-look side will make mistakes and they are willing to learn from these defeats.

“We were right to chase. We made some errors which cost us the game. A young team will make mistakes. We will learn. Good four games ahead,” said Hardik when quizzed in the post-match presentation ceremony if he would’ve wanted to bat first.

Speaking on where India lost the plot in the series opener, the star all-rounder hinted that they kept losing wickets regularly, and the lack of partnerships hurt his side.

“In T20 cricket, if you lose wickets, it becomes difficult to chase. A couple of hits can change the momentum. When we lost a couple of wickets, that halted us. It (playing three spinners) was more to do with the spinners. We wanted to give opportunities to the two wristies,” added Pandya.

The Indian captain lavished praise on debutants Mukesh and Tilak while adding the duo will only improve with time.

“Mukesh (Kumar) – to have this two weeks in West Indies – to make debuts in all three formats is really good. He bowled a couple of overs back to back. Tilak – very pleasing to see. There’s confidence and fearlessness. They are going to do wonders for India,” Hardik stated.