Pandya stars with bat and ball
HARDIK Pandya’s all-round magnificence and Rishabh Pant’s 125 not out off 113 balls carried India to a five-wicket win in their one-day international series decider against England.
Pandya dismissed Jason Roy and Ben Stokes in an outstanding opening burst before returning to take the wickets of Liam Livingstone and Jos Buttler in the same over to finish with an ODI-best four for 24.
Buttler top-scored with 60 off 80 balls in England’s 259 all out in 45.5 overs, but that was put in the shade by Hardik’s 71 off 55 deliveries in a decisive 133-run stand with Pant at Emirates Old Trafford.
While Reece Topley followed up his England record six for 24 on Thursday with the prize scalps of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli, Pant and Pandya expertly led the recovery from 72 for four.
The pair offered chances but grew in confidence with temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius and, while Hardik departed with 55 required, Pant’s unbeaten ton featuring 16 fours and two sixes got India over the line with 7.5 overs to spare.
A carnival-style atmosphere greeted Pant’s maiden ODI century, in which he accelerated after going past 50. He mixed orthodox strokes with his own brilliance, giving England a lesson after they failed to bat out their 50 overs for the third time in a series they lost 2-1.
After being asked to bat first, Roy settled with an authoritative punch. Mohammed Siraj exploited some early movement to find the edges of Jonny Bairstow and then Joe Root.
Roy continued to assert himself and Stokes was bullish in a 54-run union off 47 balls, but Pandya put the brakes on in a terrific opening spell of 4-3-2-2. Roy skied a top edge to depart for 41, while Stokes offered a return catch on 27.
Moeen Ali briefly sparkled but was caught down the leg-side for 34 after a 75-run stand with Buttler, who went to a 65-ball fifty soon after.
Livingstone was punchy but perished in the deep on 27 looking for his third six off the returning Pandya, with Buttler holing out three balls later before England’s 200 was up.
Hardik reached a 43-ball fifty first before Pant got to his off 71 deliveries.
When Pant was in his 70s he thumped Overton for India’s first six.
By now England were haemorrhaging boundaries, but they prised out Pandya as Stokes took a sensational low catch.
After reaching his 106-ball ton _ his second fifty came off just 35 deliveries _ Pant was in no mood to hang around.
Willey disappeared to all parts as he conceded five fours in as many balls before Pant ended proceedings with a reverse sweep for four off Root.