Fans Recall Dhoni's Gesture To Help Kohli Finish Match After Hardik Pandya Hits 6 To Avoid Tilak Varma Maiden Fifty; Watch

Tilak Varma was batting on 49 not-out and was at the non-striker's end when Hardik smashed a six to finish the match. There will 13 balls remaining in the game to make 2 more runs for the win.

MS Dhoni, on left. Hardik and Tilak, on right. (Source: Twitter)

Team India bounce back in the five-match T20I series vs West Indies in style with a dominant win over in the third match on Tuesday. The Hardik Pandya-led side beat West Indies by 7 wickets to make it 2-1 in the series. The Men in Blue had lost the previous two matches and were at risk of losing the series. But they finally played like a team, displaying an all-round show to thrash their opponents.

One controversial moment, however, happened right at the end of the match. Hardik Pandya finished the match with a big six off Rovman Powell. It was the fifth ball of the 18th over and India won the match with 13 balls still remaining in the innings and seven wickets in hand. A six in a T20 game usually brings happiness for fans but here, the Indian fans got upset with Hardik and trolled him on social media. The reason was that Tilak Varma was stranded on 49 not-out at the other end. It was a golden chance for him to make his first fifty. However, with Hardik hitting the six, Tilak did not get the opportunity to do the same.

Fans felt that there were still many balls remaining in the innings and only 2 runs were required. Hardik could have played two dots in the 18th over or maybe taken a single on the penultimate ball to bring Tilak on strike for the last delivery. 

Some fans also brought back the instance of how MS Dhoni had allowed Virat Kohli to finish the match, way back in 2014. Needing just 1 to win against South Africa, Dhoni had played a dot to ensure Kohli was on strike the next over and finished off the game too. Kohli had played a brilliant knock of 60-odd runs to set up that win for India and Dhoni, the captain, wanted him only to hit the winning runs. 

Others took potshot at head coach Rahul Dravid too. The former India captain had declared the innings in one of the Test in Pakistan, calling back Sachin Tendulkar when he wa batting on 194, just six away from a well-deserved double hundred. 

Check out reaction of the fans below in Hardik-Tilak incident:

Ab na waisa emotion raha cricket mein aur na waisi sportsmanship.
After what Hardik Pandya did with Tilak Varma everyone started missing this beautiful moment between MSD and Virat_#HardikPandya #TilakVarma #INDvWI #WIvsIND pic.twitter.com/17cMcauyz7

— Deepak Phogat (@deepakphogat30) August 9, 2023

I hear Hardik didn't let his fellow player complete a milestone, remember where he must have got that idea from? Yes... — Udit (@udit_buch) August 9, 2023

You can be a #captain of the team but to be a #leader you have to be different. After todays winning runs by #Hardik this innings #dhoni came in my mind, showing why he was different #TilakVarma #lastballsix pic.twitter.com/eRpz8eK4sW — TAAGASTYA (@LalPatrakar) August 8, 2023

Good morning to everyone except Hardik Pandya for ruining my boy Tilak Varma's well deserved fifty. pic.twitter.com/JMUuMy5i0x — R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) August 9, 2023

Hardik Pandya clearly told Tilak Varma to Finish the match asap but Tilak was busy in singlespic.twitter.com/jT2iN12Zib

— Slayer _ (@pervy_slayer_) August 9, 2023

Tilak Varma needs one run to score 50 and Hardik Pandya hits a six to win the game with 13 more balls to spare. ____

Reminds me of this incident with MSD & VK

That's how you encourage talent! pic.twitter.com/ESDmlExIyk — KP (@karthikponnuri) August 8, 2023

Coming to the third T20I between India and West Indies, Suryakumar Yadav found form and struck a 44-ball 83 to help India chase down 160-run target. West Indies could put up just 159 for 5 in 20 overs with Kuldeep Yadav scalping three wickets while Mukesh Kumar and Axar Patel got a wicket each. Tilak maintained his consistency and is currently the leading run-scorer in the series (139 runs in 3 matches).