IND vs ENG 3rd T20I: Experts Criticize Hardik Pandya For Slow Approach, Question India Batting Order in Rajkot

Former cricketers questioned India's batting approach in the 26-run loss to England in the third T20I of the five-match series, which was staged at the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) Stadium in Rajkot on Tuesday (January 28).

Adil Rashid, Jamie Overton and Brydon Carse applied the choke in the middle overs as England kept the series alive with a crucial win in Rajkot, where Indian batting failed to take the team over the line in the run chase of 172.

With the score at 68/4 at the end of the eighth over and the fall of Tilak Varma's wicket, Hardik Pandya and Washington Sundar's struggle saw India add just 17 runs in the next 25 balls. Axar and Hardik added 38 runs in the next 25 balls, but by then the chase had already got harder.

India added only 40 runs between the 9th and 16th over before Hardik batting on 23 off 27 balls, finally got going. Former India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel was critical of Hardik Pandya's knock which ended at 40 off 35 balls.

"Can't take 20-25 balls to get set. I understand taking your time but you have to keep rotating the strike. Hardik may have ended up with 40 off 35, but there were a lot of dot balls at the start of his innings," Parthiv said in the post-match show on Star Sports.

Former India pacer Irfan Pathan also emphasized on the importance of rotating strike in the shortest format, especially on slow wicket, adding on his social media that the team left it till too late.

"In the T20 format ability to rotate the strike is very important on slightly slower wicket. India left it too much for too late in the end," Pathan posted on X after England claimed a 26-run win.

Team India had selected Dhruv Jurel in the playing 11 for the match in Rajkot, but used the wicketkeeper-batter at number eight below all-rounders Axar and Washington Sundar. This approach was questioned by former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen.

"India didn't get the batting order right. Dhruv Jurel is an accomplished batter. Having him lower down the order for the left and right combination was not right. I'm a firm believer in your best batters batting up front," Pietersen said.

Parthiv also echoed Pietersen and added that India overdid the left and right combination, which saw Jurel a better batter, who could have been better off facing more deliveries, batting at number eight.

"Left and right combination is alright till No.4 but after that you should send your best batters. Jurel is a proper batsman. He could have constructed a big innings," Pathiv added.

Earlier, Varun Chakravarthy's fifer helped India restrict England to 171/9 after fifty from Ben Duckett and a 24-ball 43 from Liam Livingstone. In response, India could only manage 145 in their allotted 20 overs.

Team India will hope to organize their batting order better when they face England in the fourth T20I at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune on Friday (January 31) before the series concludes with the fifth and final T20I in Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday (February 2).