Irfan Pathan, a former all-rounder for India, praised the West Indies team for their historic 3-2 series victory and encouraged the Indian administration to reflect on their loss to a lower-ranked opponent.
India suffered a severe setback as they lost the five-match T20I series 2-3 after winning the Test and ODI series against the West Indies. After overcoming a 0-2 hole with two straight victories, Hardik Pandya and company were convinced they could mount a valiant comeback and win the series. That wasn’t the case, though, as the West Indies won thanks to strong bowling and intelligent batsmen.
The West Indies team is deserving of their series victory, so congratulations! Irfan wrote on his ‘X’ handle, “squad India must think on this loss since losing to a lower-ranked squad is really concerning.
Congratulations to the West Indies team on a well-deserved series win! Team India must reflect on this defeat, as losing to a lower-ranked team is indeed worrisome. #INDvWI
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) August 13, 2023
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, the “Men in Blue” immediately lost both young openers. India scored a competitive total of 165/9 in 20 overs thanks to Suryakumar Yadav’s resourceful 61 off 45 balls. Tilak Varma made another impressive 18-ball 27 but couldn’t capitalize on the start.
Jason Holder and Akeal Hosein each claimed two wickets, but Romario Shepherd led the way with four wickets. In response, Brandon King, who had previously had a quiet series, displayed class with an unbeaten 55-ball 85 to help the side win the match by eight wickets with two overs remaining. With a 35-ball 47, the in-form Nicholas Pooran also excelled.
The Player of the Series title goes to Nicholas Pooran.
Given that Nicholas Pooran, a former captain of the West Indies, was the series’ most reliable batter for the home team, he was appropriately named Player of the Series. The 27-year-old’s century in the championship match last month helped MI New York win the Major League Cricket championship. As he produced some brilliant shots on challenging conditions, Pooran maintained his strong form in the T20I series against India.
Pooran scored 176 runs in 124 balls across the five games, averaging 35.20 and having a 141.94 strike rate. In the second T20I in Guyana, where nearly every other hitter from both teams had trouble getting going, he reached his highest score of 67 off 40 balls.
India
