Virat Kohli Reveals Why India Did Not Bowl Hardik Pandya In The Second ODI Against England

India’s bowling display and tactics in the second ODI against England raised question marks as Virat Kohli did not go for the sixth bowling option. While England could not chase down 317 in the first ODI, they did the target of 337 with ease in the second. Virat Kohli, who thought that the total could be enough, explained why Hardik Pandya did not bowl.

India’s spinners fared poorly in the second ODI against England as Kuldeep Yadav and Krunal Pandya ended with figures of 16-0-156-0. Only Prasidh Krishna and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were amongst the wickets, as Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes combined to add 175 off 117 balls. England chased down the target with six wickets and 39 balls to spare.

According to Virat Kohli, it is crucial to manage Hardik Pandya’s workload as they used him in the T20Is; however, they need to minimize his bowling in the ODIs. With Test cricket coming up in England and the T20 World Cup later this year, the 32-year old wants the star all-rounder to be fit.

“We need to manage his body. Need to understand where we need his (Hardik’s) skill set. We did utilise him in the T20Is but in the ODIs, it’s about managing his workload. We have Test cricket in England coming up too. So it’s important for us to have him fit,” Kohli stated as quoted by India Today.

Tonight was a case of lack of execution at certain stages: Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli admitted that they stumbled at most times; however, he acknowledged that Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes hit the ball exceptionally well and hardly gave them opportunities. Kohli, who mustered another fifty in the second ODI, lamented the lack of execution but refused to take credit away from the England batsmen.

“We did falter a bit at times but mostly, that was some of the best hitting that you’ll ever see. We never had a chance during their partnership, that’s how good they were. Tonight was a case of lack of execution at certain stages but they didn’t give us anything. It’s rare to play at such a high strike-rate and not give any chances,” he added.

Also Read: Watch: Ben Stokes Says Sorry To His Late Father After Missing Out A Century In 2nd ODI