Just a few weeks to go! Team India is set to play the much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy. However, before starting this high-voltage series against Australia, the Men in Blue faced a setback in the second T20 match against South Africa. In fact, after this defeat, team India’s experienced all-rounder Hardik Pandya came under scrutiny as a key factor behind the loss. India’s newly appointed T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, indirectly blamed Hardik for yesterday’s defeat. In the match, Hardik played one of his slowest innings, just when the team needed him most for a strong finish.
In the ongoing T20 series between India and South Africa, the two teams now stand tied with one win each. After securing a victory in the first game, India had a lead, but South Africa made a strong comeback in the second match, levelling the series. India’s defeat has spurred discussions on social media, with much focus on Hardik Pandya’s costly misplay at a critical juncture. Throughout this article, we will dive into why people started booing India’s star all-rounder after his disappointing performance against South Africa.
Suryakumar Yadav’s Toss Trouble and India’s Batting Struggles
In both matches so far, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav lost the toss, forcing India to bat first each time. Despite this, the team managed to post over 200 runs in the first game, securing a confident win. However, things took a different turn in the second game. With early dismissals of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, India struggled to build momentum, casting doubt on whether they would even reach a 150-run target.
Hardik Pandya: 39*(45)
What are your thoughts about this innings?
He remained not out till the end and played 10 balls in the last two overs and hit only one boundary in those 10 balls and that too on the last ball.#INDvSA | #SAvIND | #SAvsIND pic.twitter.com/1Qju19jrhA
— Nikhil (@Risenik) November 10, 2024
Missed Opportunity for a Bigger Score
By the end of the 18th over, India was at 115/6 with Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh at the crease. With 12 balls remaining, hopes were pinned on Hardik to finish strong. On the third ball of the 19th over, Arshdeep took a single, returning the strike to Hardik, who reportedly told Arshdeep to enjoy the game from the non-striker’s end, signalling his confidence. However, Hardik was unable to hit any boundaries in the remaining deliveries of that over, falling short of the much-needed finish.
A thriller in Gqeberha as South Africa win the 2nd T20I by 3 wickets to level the series 1-1#TeamIndia will aim to bounce back in the next match
Scorecard – https://t.co/ojROEpNVp6#SAvIND pic.twitter.com/Cjw0ik0m4q
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 10, 2024
Final Over Disappointment
In the final over, India could only add six runs. Hardik managed to hit one four off the last ball but also saw two dropped catches, adding to the mounting pressure. Ultimately, the team ended with a below-par total of 124 runs, which South Africa chased down comfortably with an over to spare.
India will now need to win both remaining matches to secure the series victory, as they work to bounce back from this narrow defeat.