Aakash Chopra SLAMS Hardik Pandya For Bowling First Over at Ranchi During 1st T20I

Ind vs NZ: Aakash Chopra reckoned captain Hardik Pandya should not have been bowling the first over of the game.

Ranchi: The batting and the bowling got criticised after India’s 21-run loss against New Zealand on Friday in Ranchi during the first T20I. Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra reckoned captain Hardik Pandya should not have been bowling the first over of the game. He felt Arshdeep Singh should have started proceedings at Ranchi against Finn Allen.

“We thought Finn Allen was a walking wicket, that you will dismiss him easily, but that did not happen. Why was Hardik Pandya bowling the first over? I feel Arshdeep should have bowled the first over,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

“Allen hit three fours in the first over. When you hit three fours, your confidence grows a lot. Then you are not afraid of anyone and you say that you will hit. Arshdeep is not looking in that good form, that’s the other part of the story,” he added.

Bowling first, India were very much in the game until the 19th over with New Zealand’s score reading 149/6. But a 27-run final over from Arshdeep Singh which included two sixes and a four turned the table in the visitor’s favour.

In reply, Suryakaumar Yadav (47) and Washington Sundar (50) kept India in the game but lacked support from others to fall short by 21 runs.

“No one even thought that the wicket would play like that and both teams were surprised. But they played better cricket on this and that’s why the result end up like that. Actually the new ball was turning more than the old one and the way spun, way it bounced it caught us by surprise,” Hardik said after the game.