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Once again in a game against Pakistan, it was Hardik Pandya who stepped up and delivered in a crunch situation, this time in the Asia Cup 2023 in Kandy on Saturday, September 2.
The Indian vice-captain walked out to bat in a precarious situation with the scorecard reading 66/4. However, he added a massive 138 runs for the fifth wicket with Ishan Kishan and scored a stunning 87 to ensure that India got to a pretty competitive total of 266.
Experts in the cricketing fraternity were impressed with the maturity that Hardik Pandya showed in testing conditions with India's back to the walls against Pakistan. On that note, let's take a look at three such comments from former cricketers on his knock:
#3 Wasim Jaffer
Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer summed up Hardik Pandya's performance with an apt one-liner that beautifully described his mental strength. Here's what Jaffer posted on X (formerly Twitter):
"When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Super knock @hardikpandya7 👊🏽 #INDvPAK."
Jaffer indirectly pointed out that this was another occasion against Pakistan where Pandya stepped up.
#2 Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar was impressed with the way Hardik Pandya weathered the storm and did not let the occasion get the better of young Ishan Kishan at the other end.
Here's what Gavaskar had to say to India Today:
"I think again no praise can be too high for the way he shepherded Ishan Kishan through that partnership. And of course, scoring runs himself hitting the boundaries, picking the ones and twos. And he showed that, you know, in a crisis situation to rise to the occasion, that was terrific innings."
Kishan was playing his first game against Pakistan and just like an experienced leader, Pandya kept on communicating with him, spurring him on to keep going.
#1 Matthew Hayden
Probably the highest praise for Pandya's knock came from former Australian opener Matthew Hayden. He described the situation that the all-rounder had come into bat and believed it was almost like a captain's knock.
On this, Hayden told Star Sports:
"He knew that his side was in trouble. He knew that Ishan Kishan was at the other end and he hadn’t played a lot of cricket for India in ODIs. There was an extenuating situation; plus, he was facing a world-class Pakistan attack. Those situations, he summed up nicely. He did exactly what he was supposed to do through that middle stage. When the spin came on, he was able to manipulate the strike. That was almost like a captain’s knock, the one that Rohit Sharma couldn’t play. Hardik did play."
Hardik Pandya firing with the bat in ODI cricket is massive news for India ahead of the World Cup. They need their vice-captain to continue giving them that crucial balance with runs and wickets.
