WI v IND, 1st T20I: Losing wickets in a row cost us the match, says skipper Hardik Pandya

Tarouba (Trinidad), Aug 4 (IANS) India T20 skipper Hardik Pandya blamed the loss of quick wickets in the middle overs as the reason for his side falling short in the first T20I and suffering a narrow four-run defeat to West Indies in the first game of the five-match series.

After restricting the West Indies to 149/6 in their 20 overs after the hosts won the toss and elected to bat first, India seemed to have recovered from a horrendous start after losing both openers from 28 with Tilak Varma (39) taking them to 77 before Hardik Pandya (19) and Sanju Samson (12) sharing a 36-run partnership to take them to 113/4.

But India lost both Pandya and Samson at the same score of 113 within three deliveries and were eventually restricted to 145/9 in 20 overs. Pandya was bowled by Jason Holder (2-19) while Samson was run out.

Pandya said losing a couple of wickets in a row caused India's downfall in the match.

"Throughout the game, we were in control. I have always believed that in T20 cricket if you lose wickets, it becomes difficult to chase down a total. When we lost a couple of wickets [in a row] ...it cost us," said Pandya during the post-match presentation ceremony on Thursday.

The India captain said his team made mistakes which cost them the match and started the five-match series in which the last two matches will be played in Lauderhill, the United States.

Pandya said the decision to include three spinners was because of the playing conditions. India went into the match with Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel with Arshdeep Singh and Mukesh Kumar as frontline pacers and the skipper as the medium-pacer-allrounder.

"The bowling combination [of three spinners] was down to the conditions. We wanted Yuzi and Kuldeep to play together, and Axar brings batting," said Pandya, who said it was fantastic for medium pacer Mukesh to make his debut for India.

Pandya was also pleased with the batting of middle-order batter Tilak Varma, who top-scored with a blazing 39 off 22 deliveries on his India debut.

"Very pleasing to see the way Tilak started his innings," said Pandya about the Mumbai Indian batter who started his T20I career with a six off the second ball he faced.

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