3rd T20I: Felt attack is best defence on this wicket, says Hardik Pandya

Nov 23, 2022

3rd T20I: Felt attack is best defence on this wicket, says Hardik Pandya Image

The third and final T20I between India and New Zealand was interrupted by rain on Tuesday, and India captain Hardik Pandya said that the attack was the best defence on the field given the calibre of the opposition's bowlers. India and New Zealand were tied at the end of the match thanks to the Duckworth-Lewis method.

Devon Conway (59 off 49) and Glenn Phillips both made valiant half-centuries for the Black Caps after New Zealand won the toss and decided to bat first. However, Indian pacers Mohammed Siraj (4/17) and Arshdeep Singh (4/37) produced the sensational bowling performances and scalped four wickets each to bowl out the Black Caps for 160.

India captain Hardik Pandya said that the attack was the best defence on the wicket, given the calibre of the opposition bowlers, as his team tied the third and final T20I against New Zealand on Tuesday thanks to the Duckworth-Lewis method.

Devon Conway (59 off 49) and Glenn Phillips both made valiant half-centuries for the Black Caps after New Zealand won the toss and decided to bat first. However, Indian pacers Mohammed Siraj (4/17) and Arshdeep Singh (4/37) bowled out the team for 160 runs after taking four wickets each.

Without bowling a single ball, the opening match between the two teams in Wellington was called off.

"Although I would have preferred to play the full number of overs, things are what they are. At one time, I thought that on this wicket, attack was the best defence. We are aware of their bowling strategies, so despite losing a few wickets, it was crucial to score those extra 10 to 15 runs "During the post-game presentation, Hardik said.

According to the Indian captain, a challenging match like this would have provided a chance to test some of the players, but the weather prevented it.

He stated, "Having said that, weather is something we cannot control. A game like this could have given us the opportunity to test some of the guys."

For the ODI series, which begins on November 25, the outstanding all-arounder has been rested, and Shikhar Dhawan will captain the team.

Hardik announced, "I'm returning home and taking some time off to be with my son."