On Sunday, August 13, the series-deciding fifth T20I match between the West Indies National Cricket Team and the Hardik Pandya-captained India National Cricket Team took place at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground in Lauderhill.
India chose to bat first in the game after winning the toss. Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma came to the rescue when the openers once again failed to give their team a strong start.
Suryakumar Yadav displayed superior talent and produced a brilliant half-century. Tilak Varma didn’t have a particularly impressive innings, but he contributed a crucial 27 runs at a 150 strike rate. India scored 165/9 as a result of contributions from Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, and Axar Patel of 14, 13, and 13 runs, respectively.
West Indies lost Kyle Mayers early in the chase, but Brandon King and Nicholas Pooran batted brilliantly to put together 107 runs in just 72 balls. Lightning caused a significant delay in the game, and on Tilak Varma’s second delivery in international cricket, Nicholas Pooran was destroyed.
Brandon King finished the match undefeated, as he and Shai Hope guided the West Indies to an 8-wicket victory. The victory gave the Men in Maroon an amazing series victory over the Men in Blue.
When I entered, we lost our momentum. – Hardik Pandya
During the post-game awards ceremony, Hardik Pandya stated that India lost momentum when he came to bat and admitting he was unable to take advantage of the circumstance. Added Hardik Pandya:
“When I entered, we lost the initiative and were unable to take advantage of the circumstance. I think we’ll put ourselves to the test. We strive to improve.
Hardik Pandya remarked that losing is okay sometimes and that they learned a lot from the series after they suffered their first bilateral series defeat over the West Indies in 17 years. Added Hardik Pandya:
“Looking back, it’s all right. We don’t need to go into much detail. I am aware of the boys’ dynamics inside the crew. We have time to think things over. Sometimes, it’s wonderful to lose. Positively, we have gained a lot of knowledge. The boys behaved honorably. They merit praise. They persisted in coming and experimenting. It is a step in the procedure.
Hardik Pandya responded when questioned about his bowling adjustments that he just goes with the flow and makes alterations when they occur to him. Hardik Pandya also expressed gratitude to the crowd for attending the game. Added Hardik Pandya:
“It’s how I felt at the time. I usually like something that comes to mind when I see a circumstance. Nothing complicated; just my instincts. Every young person entering the building is acting honorably. When I see a young person enter the room and raise his hand, I couldn’t be happier. Thank you so much to everyone. It would be the T20 World Cup. The numbers would increase then.