2 hours ago
3
ARTICLE AD BOX
Pandya's belligerence was a huge part of India getting to a score of 231/5, which ultimately proved to be the difference as South Africa finished with 201/8 in reply. (PTI Photo)
Hardik Pandya returned to international cricket after over two months in India’s five-match T20I series against South Africa and showed just how lethal he is in the format when fit and firing. Pandya blasted a total 142 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 186.84 with two half-centuries, in addition to bowling some crucial overs and taking three wickets to boot.
His second fifty of the series came in the fifth T20I and it was the second fastest of all time for an Indian man in the format. Pandya’s belligerence was a huge part of India getting to a score of 231/5, which ultimately proved to be the difference as South Africa finished with 201/8 in reply. India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was also as impressive as he usually is, returning figures of 2/14 amid all the big hits, but South Africa coach Shukri Conrad reckoned that Pandya’s knock was the difference.
“Taking nothing away from (Jasprit) Bumrah, I think Hardik has been the difference in the two teams,” he told reporters after the fifth T20I. “His knock tonight was the difference between us winning and losing. He played a knock in the first one as well, where he just walked in and we had him in a little bit of trouble.”
“Look, there’s a reason why he’s one of the best in the world in this format (and) his performances have been right up there. I don’t know who the man of the series is out there, but I’ll be very surprised if it’s not him,” he added. In the end, however, it was spinner Varun Chakravarthy who won player of the series and not Pandya. Varun bagged 10 wickets and averaged an impressive 11.20 in four innings.
Pandya walked in after India captain Suryakumar Yadav fell for yet another low score. That wicket became a distant memory for South Africa very soon as Pandya went berzerk in Ahmedabad. The 32-year-old ended up scoring his half-century in just 16 balls. Pandya was eventually dismissed on 63 in 25 balls. His 105-run partnership for the fourth wicket off just 44 balls with Tilak Varma propelled India past 230.
English (US) ·