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In another show of his athleticism and fitness, Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya plucked a stunning catch from thin air during the team's practice session in Ahmedabad.
The ball was traveling to the boundary with pace. Hardik Pandya ran to his left and back and put up a full-fledged jump. The 27-year-old grabbed the ball with his right hand, inches inside the boundary with his legs still way up in the air.
Here's the video:
Hardik Pandya is part of the Test, ODI and T20I squads for the ongoing England tour of India. However, he wasn't present in India's playing XI for the three completed Test matches so far, and is unlikely to be a part of the fourth.
In fact, the all-rounder last played a Test match all the way back in 2018 against England in Southampton.
In that four-Test series, Hardik Pandya scored over 160 runs in eight innings at an average of 23.43. Pandya even picked up 10 wickets at a commendable 24.70, which included his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
However since then, a back injury he sustained in the 2019 Asia Cup and subsequent delays in his recovery have prevented him from contributing with the ball.
Where will Hardik Pandya bat in the T20I series against England?
Hardik Pandya last featured for India in the T20Is in Australia in 2020. In those three games, he made 78 runs at an average of 38, including a match-winning knock of 42(22) in Sydney.
Pandya is almost certain to play in the upcoming five-match T20I series against Eoin Morgan's men. This could mean that fans might see him and pugnacious wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant bat together for India in the lower order.
However, Pandya's batting position will depend solely on his bowling fitness. Although he was recently spotted bowling with the pink ball in Ahmedabad, there's still no official word on how much workload he can manage.
If he can give India four overs, it will do wonders for the balance of the side, as Pandya could bat at No. 7 allowing four bowlers and six specialist batsmen to play.
However, if this isn't possible, we could see Pandya coming in to bat at No. 6, allowing space for five batsmen and five bowlers.
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