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India vs New Zealand: ‘It was a shocker,’ Hardik Pandya lambasts Lucknow pitch after low-scoring thriller

Captain Hardik Pandya was happy with India’s efforts in a close encounter against New Zealand but wasn’t pleased with the Lucknow pitch and made it clear while speaking at the post-match presentation.

The Kiwis managed only 99 runs in the first innings, thanks to a rank turner as Indian spinners wreaked havoc and restricted the New Zealand batters. However, India were made to toil hard and chased the target in 19.5 overs as New Zealand spinners returned the favour.


“I always believed that we’ll be able to finish the game, but it went quite late. All these games are important with the moments. I stayed in the dressing room till late to ensure that guys inside do not panic. You don’t need to panic because it was about rotating the strike rather than taking the pressure. We followed our basics,” skipper Hardik said after the match.

“To be honest, it was a shocker of a wicket. Both the games we have played on so far. I don’t mind difficult wickets. I am all up for that, but these two wickets were not made for T20. Somewhere down the line the curators or the grounds that we are going to play in should make sure they prepare the pitches earlier. Other than that, happy,” Hardik didn’t like the pitch and was vocal about it.

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The pitch assisted the spinners, and while being difficult for batters, it did steal the charm of T20I cricket as not a single six was hit throughout the course of 239 legal deliveries.

Hardik was also practical about their win and said that 120 would have been a winning total on the surface.

“Even 120 would have been a winning total. Bowlers – they stuck to their plans and ensured New Zealand batters did not rotate the strike.

“We kept rotating the spinners. Dew didn’t play much part in this. They were able to spin the ball more than us. It was carrying through well,” Hardik added.

Mitchell Santner had similar views as far as the score was concerned and said that 15 more runs would have put them on the winning side.


“It was a great game of cricket. To get it so close was a great effort from the bowlers. If we’d got an extra 10 or 15, could have been the difference,” Santner said at the post-match presentation.

The Blackcaps skipper also praised Hardik and Suryakumar Yadav who steered India home with a 31-run partnership. “The calmness of Surya and Hardik to get them over the line was pretty good.”

“We bowled 16 or 17 (17) overs of spin, definitely something different. With the bounce out there, it looked challenging. You are not sure what a good total is. 120 might have been a good score. Rotation of the strike might have been the difference,” Santner said for the surface and conditions in Lucknow.

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