Krunal Pandya credits fast bowlers for win against West Indies

Florida: India left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya credited fast bowlers for guiding India to take an unassailable lead 2-0 in the three-match T20Is against the West Indies here at Lauderhill.

Pandya said the fast bowlers picked up early wickets and that helped spinners in the middle overs.

Following the second match, the 28-year-old at the press conference said, "It is important that your fast bowlers pick early wickets as it makes our job quite easier. If they are two or three down, we can come and bowl to the middle order."

He further praised off-spinner Washington Sundar and fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar for their brilliance with the ball. He added that he is pleased that everybody contributed to the team and termed it as a "good team performance".

"Washington bowled well in both the games. Bhuvi is a world-class bowler, everyone knows about it. It is good everybody has contributed to the team whether it is batting or bowling. Overall it is a good team performance," he added.

Wherever India go, the team's fans, families or friends are always up to support the players. Something similar happened during the second match when Pandya's childhood friend Nisarg Chokshi turned up to cheer for him at the venue.

Pandya while expressing his emotions said, "It was a proud feeling for me and I am sure they must be proud of me as well. He (Chokshi) is my childhood friend. We used to play U12 and U14 together. It was good to see him coming down and supporting me. It was a good feeling in fact."

The spinner has taken three wickets in total in the first two games. When asked about the opportunity he got with the ball, Pandya said it helped in boosting his confidence.

"I am quite happy the way I have bowled. (In) the first game I bowled four overs and in this (second) game I bowled three overs. The wicket was slightly helping the spinners. It was a good confidence booster when you represent your country. It was a great experience playing in the USA," he said.

Pandya signed off with a message for young cricketers, saying one should never give up and love what one is doing.

"You should never give up and you should love what you are doing. Still, the mindset is the same as when I was six and started playing cricket because I used to love the game. Love the game and rest will fall in its place," he said.

India beat the West Indies by four wickets in the opening T20I before defeating the Caribbean side by 22 runs owing to the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in the second match.

Men in Blue will take on the West Indies in the third T20I on August 6 in Guyana.