Ashish Nehra mocks Hardik Pandya for denying a single in the last over. Ashish Nehra believes Hardik Pandya should have taken a single in the final over.
Former Indian bowler Ashish Nehra believes Hardik Pandya should have taken a single in the final over and given Dinesh Karthik the strike. Gujarat Titans skipper returned to international action with 31 runs off 12 balls but denied another returnee, Dinesh Karthik, a single. Pandya also bowled the fifth over for India, but was hit for three sixes by South African all-rounder Dwaine Pretorious.
In the final over of the inning, Anrich Nortje dismissed Rishabh Pant on the first ball, followed by Dinesh Karthik. He struck out on the first pitch but singled on the next to give Pandya the strike. The former Mumbai Indians stalwart hit a six over long-off on the fourth ball. But he refuse to run for a single on the next ball in order to save the strike for the final one. Then he failed to hit the final ball over the fence, resulting in only two runs scored.
Karthik, the finisher with the highest strike rate in the Indian Premier League 2022, was on the other end. Indians fans were quick to criticize Pandya on social media for his demeanor in the final over. Many people expected the wicketkeeper to finish the game yesterday because he was still playing for India almost three years later. Ashish Nehra, Pandya’s franchise coach, also expressed his amusement at the player denying a single in the final over.
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In final over, Hardik Pandya should have taken a single: Ashish Nehra
“In that final over, he should have taken a single.” It wasn’t me, it was Dinesh Karthik on the other end.” Cricbuzz features Ashish Nehra.
On Thursday, India lost the first match despite scoring 211 runs while batting first at Arun Jaitely Stadium in Delhi. Ishan Kishan opened and scored a brilliant fifty. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shreyas Iyer also contributed with small but important knocks, but it was stand-in skipper Pant and his deputy Pandya who led India to a large total. South Africa lost only three wickets on their way up the mountain, with David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen both scoring unbeaten fifties. India will be looking for a quick win in the second T20I on Sunday at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.
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