India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has lamented the interruption of rain in the second Test between England and India at the Lord’s. The visitors opted to go for Kuldeep Yadav instead of another pacer – a move that baffled many given the circumstances of the weather – and in the end, had to pay for it as Yadav couldn’t pick up a single wicket in his 9 overs.

It was only natural as there was no visible turn on the pitch on day three. Pandya, however, defended his selection, claiming that a five-day game would have made the spinners more functional as the intrusion of rain caused little play, which subsequently kept the pitch fresher and with fewer cracks.

“Obviously. We had some thought behind it (Kuldeep’s inclusion). But we felt that three seamers were enough. We bowled properly, gave our full effort. Had this been a five-day game, the spinners would have come to use, but with the rain and everything, it stopped. There weren’t many footmarks created so it was not gripping that much,” he said.

When asked about his role with the team, Pandya added that he focuses solely on the discipline which he is carrying out while he is on the field.