Hardik Pandya‘s role in the Indian team is unlike anybody. The kind of balance that he brings to the side is something that no other player has been able to do in recent times. On Friday, Hardik Pandya’s breathtaking blows and comeback man Shivam Dube‘s belligerence took India to a par-score of 181 for 9 after the top-order failed to negotiate the short of length deliveries bowled by England pacers in the fourth T20 International in on Friday. Coming in at No. 7, Pandya was stylish and destructive in equal measure hitting four boundaries and an equal number of maximums in his 30-ball-53.
Towards the end, the six that Pandya hit off Jamie Overton to complete his half-century went viral.
This no-look six from Hardik Pandya
INFINITE AURA
pic.twitter.com/6sr30cF69u
— Johns (@JohnyBravo183) January 31, 2025
INDIA’s GREATEST ALL-ROUNDER IN T20
– It’s no other than Hardik Pandya. pic.twitter.com/JAoZ9vdKT2
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 31, 2025
“Cinematic perfection – Hardik’s six in full glory! #HardikPandya pic.twitter.com/P3GyKkAQQP
— Always Ravi (@alwaysRaviDhfrc) January 31, 2025
Dube (53 off 34 balls) also didn’t do too badly in a stand of 87 off 48 balls for the sixth wicket after pacer Saqib Mahmood (3/35 in 4 overs) reduced India to 12 for 3 by the end of second over.
Dube was coming back into national colours after bagging a pair in a Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir last week.
But Pandya, who many feel can take MS Dhoni‘s role as a finisher, began with an aggressive approach, then rotated the strike for a few overs before launching a brutal final assault on the English bowlers. However his innings was cut short by one shot too many.
He got an able ally in Dube, who hit seven fours and two sixes as India got as many as 109 runs in the back-10.
Mahmood, playing his first game of the series, struck thrice in his first over and all three were well-planned dismissals.
By now, the world knows about Sanju Samson‘s (1) susceptibility against quick bowling, especially those pitched on either hard length or back of the length.
Mahmood bowled one slightly back of length and the short arm pull went straight into the palms of Brydon Carse at deep fine leg boundary.
In-form Tilak Varma (0) was out first ball as he tried to use the pace and slash it over third man.
The most well thought out dismissal was certainly skipper Suryakumar Yadav‘s (0), who is undergoing the worst slump in his international career.
Jos Buttler stationed a short mid-wicket fielder to exploit the Indian skipper’s propensity to hit the uppish-flick shot. The ploy was executed with precision as India were 12 for 3 byt the end of the second over.
Abhishek Sharma (29 off 19 balls) and Rinku Singh (30 off 26 balls), who after a long time came to bat only in the third over, started well but couldn’t convert it into big scores.
They added 45 runs for the fourth wicket but then were out in quick succession leaving India in a spot of bother at 79 for 5.
Dube, playing his first game since the T20 World Cup final, started with a big six off Adil Rashid but never looked comfortable against raw pace.
However, when Rashid flighted, he did take the bait and hit some lusty blows.
Pandya looked regal when he held his pose while hitting Brydon Carse through covers and his six over long-off was equally exhilarating. Late his short arm pull and slap off Jamie Overton fetched him a six and four.
With PTI inputs
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