Hardik Pandya against Australia
Hardik Pandya continued his purple patch with the bat by slamming a 76-ball 92 in the final ODI of the three-match series on Wednesday. Pandya stitched a 150-run record sixth-wicket partnership with Ravindra Jadeja to steer India to a challenging total of 302 runs. In response, the Indian bowling unit rolled out an improved performance at Canberra as India avoided series whitewash with a 13-run victory.
It was a memorable series for Pandya which started with a 90-run knock in the first ODI. He followed it up with a stellar bowling performance in the second ODI and left a mark with his cutters. He returned to bowling in international cricket after over a year.
Pandya didn't bowl throughout the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and was included in the first ODI solely as a batsman. His performances in the three-match series were impressive, especially after dealing with a back injury. He topped it off by clinching the Man of the Match award in the final ODI.
After an impressive outing in ODIs, Pandya said that he's fine to play the T20Is, starting from December 4th. After the three-match T20I series, India will lock horns with Australia in the much-awaited Test series from December 17.
"I will be fine to play the T20Is. I have been working hard to play for my country, happy that I've got the opportunity. Really happy for Natarajan and rest of the bowlers. It's been quite a story for him. You need to be on your toes when it comes to playing against Australia. You got to push hard and face the challenge against them," he said in the post-match presentation.
