Hardik slams West Indies board for lack of facilities

India maintained a dominant position in the final ODI by setting an imposing target of 351 for five after being asked to bat first.

Tarouba:Indian captain Hardik Pandya rued the lack of basic facilities during their stay here, saying “it’s time” for Cricket West Indies (CWI) to take note of and address the issues.

Led by Hardik in the absence of Rohit Sharma, India thrashed the West Indies by 200 runs to clinch the three-match ODI series 2-1, with the skipper himself making an unbeaten 52-ball 70.

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“This was one of the nicest grounds we have played. Things can be better when we come to West Indies next time. From travelling to managing a lot of things. Last year also, some hiccups happened,” Hardik said after the game at the Brian Lara Stadium.

“I think it’s time for West Indies Cricket to take note of it and make sure that when a team travels… We don’t ask for luxury but we need some basic necessities taken care of.

“Other than that, really enjoyed coming here and playing some good cricket,” he added on Tuesday.

The Indian cricketers had earlier expressed their displeasure to BCCI after their late-night flight from Trinidad to Barbados got delayed by close to four hours, leaving them sleep-deprived ahead of the ODI series opener.

In the final ODI, India were always ahead after making an imposing 351 for five after being asked to bat first.

Shubman Gill struck 85 off 92 balls and, along with in-form Ishan Kishan (77 off 64 balls), set the platform for a massive score.

Sanju Samson (51 off 41 balls) made a compelling case to be picked as a reserve middle-order batter while Hardik smashed five sixes and four boundaries on a good batting strip.

The chase was always out of question and Mukesh Kumar’s three-wicket burst with some quality seam bowling in the first powerplay dashed the West Indies’ hopes as they were shot out for 151 in only 35.3 overs.