3rd ODI: Pant, Pandya’s counterattacking fifties lead India’s rebuild

Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya helped India recover from a slump in typical style, taking on the English bowlers with brute force and ingenious improvisation to bring up their respective half-centuries in the third and final ODI against England on Sunday. 

Pant, who brought up his second consecutive fifty in the series and the third of his career, and Pandya, who struck his seventh ODI fifty, added 99 runs for the fifth wicket from 11.4 overs to rebuild India’s innings, which the English spinners derailed after a solid start.

Openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan were on song at the start of the innings, bringing up their 17th 100-run partnership in ODI cricket, and the first of the series, to give the hosts an ideal start.  

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However, Adil Rashid struck in quick succession to remove both the openers before Moeen Ali removed skipper Virat Kohli, all within three overs, to swing the momentum back the visitors way. 

Batting all-rounder Liam Livingstone then dismissed KL Rahul to really leave India in trouble before Pant and Pandya took control over proceedings.

Pant stamped his authority on the match with consecutive outrageous shots off Rashid – first mistiming a whipped attempt to nearly clear the fence at deep square leg before bringing out the scoop shot for a boundary over the keeper.

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The southpaw scored five fours and four sixes in his 62-ball 78-run innings beofre Sam Curran induced an edge for Jos Buttler to take a sharp catch behind the stumps. 

On the other hand, Pandya also struck five boundaries and four maximums in his 44-ball 64, before being bowled over by Ben Stokes.