'At least try for a six' - Manoj Tiwary slams Hardik Pandya for lacklustre batting display against SRH
Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary expressed his displeasure which stemmed from Hardik Pandya's lackluster knock against SRH in Match 8 of IPL 2024.
In an IPL fixture where records were being obliterated from all sides by batters from both sides, with 523 runs scored in the entire game with a record 38 maximums recorded, the Mumbai Indians' skipper Hardik Pandya struggled for his side, with him being the solitary batter having a strike rate lesser than 185 in a 278-run chase, out of the seven batters who were presented with the opportunity to unleash themselves in the second innings.
After the match, quite a few experts expressed their views on Hardik's 20-ball 24-run knock, with most of them criticising the skipper for his pale knock, which ultimately shifted the momentum back into the home team's hands.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary didn't hold back in critiquing Hardik Pandya's batting performance. He took the rest of the batters of MI into consideration while highlighting the drastically lower strike rate of Hardik (120). He acknowledged the fact that SRH's bowlers bowled well when Pandya came out to bat, he pointed out that Hardik trying to hit the back-of-the-length deliveries straight down the ground peeved him.
“If you look at the strike rate of MI batters, Hardik Pandya is a big-hitting player, but he struck at only 120. Yes, the bowling was good at that time, but one thing that irked me was the shots he hit against back-of-length. He was hitting the shots down the ground,” Tiwary told Cricbuzz.
Considering the numerous instances where Hardik has been the saviour for MI, Hardik's innings against SRH left Tiwary agitated, with him noting that seeking singles, doubles, or even fours, were not the optimal results which batters with the calibre of Hardik would've aimed for, with hitting maximums being the need of the hour, concluding that he wasn't in good form at the moment.
“Generally, when the asking rate is 14-15, and you have such a big player, you'd want them to at least try for a six. Attempting to get a single or two, or even a four, wasn't the demand of the situation. That irked me. And that shows he is not in good form. In the last match, he did start well but was dismissed. We have seen that he has rescued the team on many occasions,” Tiwary added.
MI to play first home game on April 1, 2024
After losing two successive games on the road, MI will be involved in a face-off against RR at their home ground, the Wankede Stadium, on April 1, 2024. Out of ten matches being played at the Wankhede between the two sides in the IPL, MI has prevailed on six occasions, with RR winning four of them.
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