At the awards ceremony, Indian skipper Hardik Pandya revealed why spinner Axar Patel beat Sri Lanka in the final of the inaugural T20I at Wankhede Stadium.
Hardik Pandya struggles with new injury scare Why Axar Patel thrashed finale Indian assistant Answering some of the enthusiastic questions after an impressive win over Sri Lanka with his T20I. In the absence of veterans Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, Pandya’s India overwhelmed Asian Cup winners Sri Lanka by two heats at Wankhede Stadium. Whiteball maverick Pandya kicked off the hosts’ bowling attack, while youngster Sivam Mavi emerged as the top bowler pick in the recently concluded matchup at Wankhede Stadium. Pandya failed to meet his over quota, so he tasked Spinner Axar with his thriller Final Over to help India cross his line to the finish. At the awards ceremony, Pandya revealed why his Axar sank in the final innings.
He said: “We may lose games here and there, but that’s okay. I want to put this team in a difficult situation because it helps us in the big games. We are very good at bilateral relations, so we will try. Let’s be honest, all the young guns saved us from today’s situation. “series.
All-rounder his Axar (31) also remained undefeated to Deepak Hooda (41) as the Indian duo led the hosts to a total of 162-5 in his 20 overs of his contest. Referring to India’s performance in the series opener, substitute skipper Pandya also praised Pacer his Mavi, who made his international debut at Wankhede. “Conversation was very easy. I see him (Mavi) throwing the ball well in the IPL and I know what his strengths are. I told him to just bowl.I told him “I will support you.I don’t care if you get beaten.”If the same situation is there, I will take a new bowl,”Pandya said. Pacer Mavi conceded 4 wickets and licked 22 runs in a memorable victory over the Indian Islanders. Pandya and his allies will face Dasun Shanaka’s team in the second T20I at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Thursday.