Vaibhav Tripathi
Hardik Pandya, leading Team India for the decisive ODI against West Indies, credited Virat Kohli’s advice for his match-defining half-century. Acting as stand-in captain, Pandya notched his 10th fifty, an unbeaten 70 (52) with 4 fours and 5 sixes, propelling India to 351 in 50 overs.
“I had a very wonderful chat with Virat (Kohli) a couple of days back, and the kind of input he gave me, he has seen me throughout the years. It’s been almost seven or eight years of international cricket and he has seen me from day one. He had some pointers which really helped me.
“He just wanted me to spend some time on the crease and get used to the 50-over game as well because we have played so many T20 formats and that kind of stayed in my mind and I was just waiting for the opportunity. I’m really thankful to him as well to kind of share that experience with me,” Pandya said in the post-match presentation.
In the third ODI, India asserted their dominance by defending a total of 351 against West Indies, who crumbled and were bowled out for 151. Noteworthy performances came from Ishan Kishan (77), Shubman Gill (85), Sanju Samson (51), and Hardik Pandya (70*), each contributing crucial half-centuries to India’s imposing score. The Indian bowling contingent, spearheaded by Mukesh Kumar and Shardul Thakur, exhibited a collective display, dismantling the West Indies line-up.