Wed Jan 29 11:59:37 UTC 2025: ## Pandya’s Slow Start Criticized After India’s T20I Loss to England

**Rajkot, India:** India’s all-rounder Hardik Pandya faced criticism for his slow start in Tuesday night’s third T20I against England, a match India lost by 17 runs. Chasing a 172-run target, India were bowled out for 145/9.

Pandya, who came to the crease in the final over of the powerplay, struggled to rotate the strike and find boundaries initially. He reached 14 runs off 21 balls before finally breaking free with his first boundary. While he eventually scored 40 off 35, his slow innings put immense pressure on the other batsmen, according to former India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel.

Patel, speaking on Star Sports, stated that while acclimatizing to the conditions is understandable, Pandya’s slow start, marked by several dot balls, hampered India’s run chase. He highlighted that the slow scoring rate put undue pressure on the other batsmen.

Patel also questioned the team management’s rigid adherence to a left-right batting order combination, suggesting that the inclusion of Dhruv Jurel higher up the order might have yielded better results, allowing him ample time to build a substantial innings. He argued that prioritizing the team’s best batsmen, regardless of the left-right arrangement, should be the priority beyond the fourth batsman.

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