All-rounder Hardik Pandya produced a stunning effort with the bat as India posted a strong total of 208/6 against Australia in the 1st T20I in Mohali on Tuesday. At the end of the penultimate over, India were placed at 187/6, a big over standing between the Men in Blue and gaining a psychological advantage of a 200-plus total. Having been criticised lately for not finishing the innings with a surge, Pandya lit up the PCA Stadium with a hat-trick of sixes off the bowling off Cameron Green.
After Harshal Patel took a single off the first ball off the last over and Pandya refused a single off the second, it seemed as if it would again be one of those instances where the decision comes back to haunt the batter. But Pandya, clearly, had other plans. Third ball off the over, Pandya unleashed a short arm pull with enough power that took the ball sailing over cow corner.
The second ball was a lot purer, in terms of the shot selection. To a fuller delivery, Pandya went deep into the crease and launched the ball over the infield for a long and straight six. It brought the 200 up for India. As if 202 wasn't a strong enough total, Pandya added six more to it, slapping the final ball off the innings over the deep point boundary. Three sixes in an over and India had comfortably breached the 200-run mark.
{{/usCountry}}The second ball was a lot purer, in terms of the shot selection. To a fuller delivery, Pandya went deep into the crease and launched the ball over the infield for a long and straight six. It brought the 200 up for India. As if 202 wasn't a strong enough total, Pandya added six more to it, slapping the final ball off the innings over the deep point boundary. Three sixes in an over and India had comfortably breached the 200-run mark.
{{/usCountry}}Pandya's blitzkrieg saw him hit seven fours and five sixes. Fancying the leg-side, Pandya went berserk en route to registering his highest T20I score for India with an unbeaten 71. Earlier, off the last ball of the penultimate over, Hardik had cut Nathan Ellis for a boundary to bring up his fifty.