Hardik Pandya’s power-hitting display proves he is back to his best

There was a phase in the Indian batting innings just after Rishabh Pant had given his wicket away in the 12th over when it wasn’t exactly clear whether India would get anywhere near 200. On this track that belied pre-game expectations and where the ball didn’t stop on the batsman, India would have been satisfied with a score of that magnitude. It was then Hardik Pandya who stepped up to seize control with a 27-ball 50 and India finished on 196, that proved too much for Bangladesh. Especially after Kuldeep Yadav got turn to bamboozle their batsmen to pick three middle-order wickets, including that of Shakib Al Hasan, for not many.

Shivam Dube wasn’t really free-flowing for the majority of his stay. He never did breakfree despite the two sixes near the end that bolstered his strike-rate (141.67) to an extent, and it was upto Pandya to do the real damage.

Perhaps a touch harsh, but it’s apt to dwell a touch on Dube’s troubles to accentuate Pandya’s quality. When the balls were in his hitting arc, in the slot, only then could Dube connect with his big-hits. Rest of the time, when the balls were slightly away from his comfort zone, he would keep mistiming them. Not Pandya, though.

India’s Hardik Pandya plays a shot during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup cricket match between India and Bangladesh at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, Saturday, June 22, 2024. AP/PTI

There was a stunning straight six off the legspinner Rishad Hossain in the 18th over that is worth fast forwarding to as it captures both the batsmen’s strengths and Bangladesh’s errors. Rishad’s action isn’t straightforward, bowling arm coming almost over his head, but unlike a few leggies with such actions, he has a genuine legbreak. It wasn’t in his ball selection that he went wrong but the lengths. A touch too full to Pandya, who pounced. He didn’t have to leave the crease, just lean a touch forward, get his front foot out of the way, and unfurl that smooth bat-swing of his to send the ball downtown. Most Indian batsmen in this line-up, perhaps barring Pant to an extent, don’t really charge the spinners. Rishad could have been more aware of that, and could have hit the good length more often as whenever he did that, he did have the batsman, including Pandya, groping for the ball.

But when it’s remotely in his area, Pandya lets his hands go so smoothly through the line. Against spin and pace.

Tanzim Hasan, who took out a charging Virat Kohli with a slower off cutter, tried doing it to Pandya in the 19th over. But he ended up dragging it pretty short and Pandya hadn’t charged either. But the resultant shot that sent the ball crashing into long-on stands is worth tapping on the highlights package link. Where others would have muscled the flat-bat, Pandya somehow makes that flat-batted shot feel like a whiplash of doom. That whiplashing effect he produces often, not just in the big sixes but in the cuts too as he did a couple of times.

Against pace and spin, he has this cut shot that takes the ball from the line of stumps but because of that whiplashing wrists, the bat manages to come down in time rather smoothly and quickly before panic can set in. Dube doesn’t have this kind of finesse and fluidity, and seems easier to be tied down with good bowling. Not Pandya.

He also used the stiff breeze that flowed across the ground rather well. A half-tracker from Mehdi Hasan in the 15th over was punched up and over extra cover for an effortless six as the ball was gone with the wind.

In the final over, Mustafizur Rahman tried the full ball well-outside off line to Pandya, who edged the first, and slice-edged the fourth ball to third man boundary. When Rahman tried it again off the final ball, Pandya crouched to elegantly ping the third man boundary again to reach his 50 with four fours and three sixes.

Pandya also struck in the fifth over of the chase with a slower one that induced the opener Litton Das, who had just pulled him for a six, to mistime another attempted pull to the deep midwicket fielder. Pandya started it and Kuldeep finished it in some style.

India’s Kuldeep Yadav, second right, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of Afghanistan’s Gulbadin Naib during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup cricket match between Afghanistan and India at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, Thursday, June 20, 2024. AP/PTI

Kuldeep’s magic

In the 10th over, Kuldeep blindfolded and shoved Tanzid Hasan into a dark alley, with a cracker of a googly that wasn’t read, and didn’t catch anything off the attempted cut to trap him lbw. In his next over, in the 12th of the innings, he had Towhid Hridoy with a legbreak that beat the intended sweep and rammed the pad for an easy lbw decision. In the 14th over, Kuldeep caught the big fish Shakib with a tossed-up one that turned away from the off stump, enough to slice the attempted slog and present a simple catch to the captain at cover.

Not that it was a game-turning wicket as the game never quite turned the way of Bangladesh at any point. Though India kept losing wickets at regular intervals, the runs had kept coming. First Rohit had slammed a few big hits, then Kohli took over, a swiped six over midwicket off Mustafizur and a six over the bowler Rishad’s head being the highlights, before Rishabh Pant sizzled.

Pant whipped Mustafizur over midwicket boundary, slammed a one-handed maximum after charging out to Rishad, and slammed both bowlers for a few fours too before he reverse-swept Rishad to short third. It was difficult to make out who was more disappointed with that dismissal: Pant or Kohli at the dugout. Rest of the time, Indians were all smiles as they wrapped up another comprehensive win.

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