India secured a thumping victory in the 3rd T20I against the West Indies on Tuesday in Guyana and kept the series alive which now stands 2-1.
Suryakumar Yadav starred for India with the bat, smashing 83 sizzling runs off 44 balls, compiled with the help of 10 fours and 4 sixes, helping India ease into their chase of 160 runs and make the series 2-1.
Tilak Varma continued his sensational start to international cricket and put on another brilliant show with the bat. After scores of 39 (22), and 51 (41) in the first two T20Is, Tilak Varma tasted his first victory in India colors, scoring 49* (37) in the third T20I and forming a match-winning partnership of 87 (51) with Suryakumar Yadav before being involved in another crucial stand of 43* (31) with skipper Pandya.
Hardik Pandya sealed off the chase with a six, however, the all-rounder got plenty of criticism and trolling for not allowing Tilak Varma to reach his half-century.
When 2 runs were required in 14 balls and with Tilak Varma at the non-striker’s end, instead of looking to give a single to give Varma the opportunity to complete his back-to-back half-centuries, Pandya cracked Powell for a six to finish off the chase. He got a lot of flak for not allowing Tilak to get to his fifty.
Irfan Pathan takes a dig at both Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni
Pandya also received criticism for coming out to bat at number 5 after Suryakumar Yadav had effectively sealed the match with his blitzkrieg innings. Fans suggested Hardik Pandya should have promoted Sanju Samson to give Samson some game time and more experience of these conditions.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan took an indirect dig at both Hardik Pandya and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Similar to what Pandya did in the 3rd T20I in Guyana – where he finished off the chase after a blinder of a knock from Suryakumar Yadav had already put India in a commanding position – Mahendra Singh Dhoni had also done that on numerous occasions, is what Irfan Pathan‘s tweet indicated.
Pathan tweeted: “Mushkil kaam aap karo, Asaan kaam mein Kar leta hoo. Suna suna Sa lagta hai…”
(Translates to: Others do the tough work, I will do the easy work. Seems to have happened in the past as well).
