The Hardik Pandya-led Team India suffered a deflating loss in the fifth and final T20I against West Indies on Sunday, August 13, in Florida. With a commanding eight-wicket victory, West Indies won the five-match series by a 3-2 margin. It is the first instance of India losing three matches in a T20I series.
After opting to bat first in the contest, the Men in Blue could only score 165/9 in 20 overs on a decent track. Suryakumar Yadav (61) starred in the batting department with a classy knock while the rest of the batters failed to deliver in the series decider.
In reply, Brandon King (85*) and Nicholas Pooran (47) played aggressive knocks to set up an easy chase for the West Indies side. The Indian bowlers looked clueless during their onslaught and proved to be costly. Kuldeep Yadav (0/18) was the exception, as he bowled an economical four-over spell, which only delayed the inevitable.
West Indies raced to 171/2 in 18 overs and won the match convincingly by eight wickets. Indian skipper Hardik Pandya endured an off day in both the batting and bowling departments in this game.
Fans enjoyed the final T20I of the series on Sunday and expressed their reactions by sharing memes on social media platforms.
Here are some of the best memes:
"Losing is good, doesn't let us cover up the messes that we do" - Hardik Pandya after losing the T20I series against West Indies
Speaking at the post-match presentation after the fifth T20I, Indian captain Hardik Pandya reflected on the loss, saying:
"I did not play exactly how I was supposed to. I believe we as a group have to challenge ourselves. We are going to learn during these games. We have spoken as a group that whenever we can take the hard way, we will.
"We will keep challenging ourselves. Within the group, we are all committed towards achieving team's goals."
Hardik Pandya added:
"Losing is good, doesn't let us cover up the messes that we do. Special mention to all the boys, they committed themselves and showed great character. When we were two down, they kept coming back. They kept the smiles around.
"Winning and losing is a part of the process and we are going to make sure that we learn from that."
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