India vs WI 2023: I'm a turtle right now, not rabbit: Hardik Pandya on bowling workload management
Hardik Pandya, the interim captain of India's ODI team, has acknowledged that he is now "a turtle, not a rabbit," but he is eager to increase his bowling workload in order to get ready for the World Cup 2023, which will be held at home in October-November.
FollowHardik Pandya, the stand-in captain for the Indian ODI team, has expressed his desire to increase his bowling workload to prepare for the upcoming ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 at home. Due to a series of injuries, Pandya has been sparingly used as a bowler in recent international matches, focusing primarily on white-ball cricket. He acknowledges his current state as a "turtle" and hopes to regain full form before the World Cup in October-November.
In the second ODI match, Pandya bowled 6.4 overs but went wicketless, conceding 38 runs. Despite his disappointing performance, Pandya remains optimistic about increasing his bowling workload and getting back into top form for the ODI World Cup 2023. His body is in good condition, and he is determined to make necessary improvements as the tournament approaches.
"My body is fine. I have to bowl more overs and get my workload up for the World Cup. I'm a turtle right now not the rabbit and hoping everything goes right as the World Cup comes on," Pandya said after India's disappointing six-wicket defeat in a rain-marred second ODI.
India suffered a six-wicket defeat in the rain-marred second ODI against the West Indies. The decision to rest regular captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli backfired as the Indian batting collapsed, and they were bowled out for 181 in 40.5 overs. With the series tied at 1-1, the third and final game presents a challenging and exciting opportunity for both teams.
Reflecting on the match, Pandya acknowledged the team's disappointment in their batting performance. None of the middle-order batters coped well with the pace, bounce, and turn of the Kensington Oval pitch. The opening partnership between Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill showed promise, but the team lost five wickets for 23 runs after their departure, hurting their chances of a competitive total.
"To be honest, you want to be going 1-1 to the third game as it'll be more challenging and exciting. They will be tested, we will be tested now that the series stands 1-1. The next game will be exciting for the viewers as well as the players," he said.
"We didn't bat the way we were supposed to. The wicket was better than it was in the first game. Everyone barring Shubman (Gill) hit fielders and got out. Disappointing but many things to learn," said Pandya, who himself got out for 7 off 14 balls.
"The way our openers batted, especially Ishan, struck it well and is good for India. Shardul (Thakur) got us back in with his bowling. Hope and Carty batted well and got them through."
West Indies captain Shai Hope expressed satisfaction with his team's "complete performance" in the match. He credited the efforts of his bowlers, Romario Shepherd and Gudakesh Motie, for tormenting the Indian batting lineup. Hope's team aims to secure another victory in the final game and maintain the positive attitude and performance displayed in the second ODI.
"It was a complete performance. Very satisfied, the aim was to get back to the series. We gotta win one more and need to come back strongly. We gotta put in the effort and today we displayed the right attitude, need to replicate that in all disciplines. We want to tick the boxes and get the right result in the final game," he said.
Hope, who was adjudged the player of the match, was pleased with his individual performance and emphasized the importance of contributing to the team's success. He highlighted the significance of finding ways to score quickly during challenging situations, emphasizing the need for effective running between the wickets to accumulate runs. The West Indies skipper remains focused on achieving a positive result in the final game of the series.
"I'm happy as long as my contributions lead to the win. When things are difficult, you gotta find ways to score quickly. So you gotta run hard, we got twos which helped."
