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'He Has Been Brilliant as GT captain..', Ex-RCB Star Accuses Rahul Dravid Of Not Supporting Hardik Pandya

image-ll1t3vajIndia head coach Rahul Dravid | Source: Twitter 

Former India wicket-keeper batter Parthiv Patel has launched a harsh critique directed at India's head coach, Rahul Dravid, and has questioned his competence to guide the team in the shortest format of the game.  

Notably, India have lost the first two T20Is against West Indies and are currently trailing 0-2 in the ongoing five-match T20I series. In the absence of Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya has been entrusted with the captaincy duties.

While there's been a prevalent belief that the Men in Blue are undergoing a transitional stage in T20s, marked by the promotion of young players and a shift away from senior figures like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the results haven't matched the expected trajectory so far. 

In the midst of it all, Parthiv Patel voiced his opinion on Cricbuzz, stating that Pandya lacks the proactive backing from coach Rahul Dravid that he enjoys from Ashish Nehra while playing for Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League. 


'Pandya needs support and Dravid doesn't provide that'- Parthiv Patel

"Hardik Pandya has been brilliant as a captain for GT, but over there he had support from Ashish Nehra as well. Is Rahul Dravid the proactive person or coach, which we are looking for in the T20 format? In my opinion, I don't think so. We need someone who is proactive, Hardik Pandya has that spark, but he needs that support and Rahul Dravid does not provide that for him." 

Furthermore, Parthiv Patel brought to light a blunder in Hardik Pandya's captaincy during the second T20I match against West Indies. Patel highlighted how Pandya's call not to utilise Yuzvendra Chahal's complete quota of overs played a significant role in shaping the match's result.  

"Hardik Pandya's decision to not give Chahal the 18th over was the turning point in the match. He bowled really well in the 16th over, but he did not finish his quota of four overs. So, for me, that was something that turned the game in favour of the West Indies." 

Notably, Chahal swung the momentum back in India's favour after Nicholas Pooran's counter-attacking knock. In a crucial 16th over bowled by the spinner, three wickets tumbled, which reduced the hosts from 127-5 to 129-8.

However, despite his economical figures of 2-19 across three overs, Chahal wasn't given another chance to bowl. Instead, in the death overs, Pandya entrusted Arshdeep Singh and Mukesh Kumar with the ball, which saw West Indies' chasing down the target with seven balls to spare. 

Having clinched two consecutive wins, West Indies has taken a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. As India approaches Tuesday's match, it's a critical do-or-die scenario, given that a loss would gift West Indies the series win.