Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Friday became the fastest batsman from his nation to amass 1000 ODI runs. He acheived the feat during the first ODI match against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Hardik smashed yeat another ODI half-century during India's chase to a colossal target of 377 set by the Aussies. En route to his fifty, Hardik amassed 1000 ODI runs, a milestone he reached in 857 balls in the format to become the fastest Indian to the feat in terms of balls faced. He surpassed Kedar Jadhav who held the previous record of 937 balls.
Overall, Hardik is the fifth fastest to the feat after West Indies' Andre Russell (767 balls), Luke Ronchi from New Zealand (807 balls), former Pakistan skipper Shaid Afridi (834 balls) and Corey Anderson (854 balls).
Talking about the game, centuries from Steve Smith and skipper Aaron Finch along with ba 19-ball 45 from Glenn Maxwell guided Australia to their their highest against India, surpassing their previous best of 359 which they had amassed four times. Overall, it is the third-best total against India in ODI cricket.
In response, India lost Mayanka Agarwal early for just 22 after a promising start to the chase where the opening stand managed a half-century in 32 balls. Jos Hazlewood then inflicted further damage as he dismissed Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer in the same over. Kohli managed only a run-a-ball 21. India went four down with 103 runs on board after Adam Zampa dismissed KL Rahul for just 12.
