Hardik Pandya was in brilliant touch against Australia in the first T20I at the PCA Stadium, Mohali on Tuesday. The Indian all-rounder remained unbeaten at 71 runs off 30 balls and took the team’s first-innings total to 208 runs.
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Pandya finished the innings with three consecutive sixes off Australia medium pacer Cameron Green.
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Australia chose to bowl first after winning the toss earlier in the match. Within the first six overs, India lost Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, but that didn’t let KL Rahul stop him from making a statement as he reached his 19th T20I half century. He reached his fifty in 32 balls hitting three fours and as many sixes on the way. He also rebuilt the Indian innings with Suryakumar Yadav, stitching a 68 runs stand with the Mumbai Indians batter.
Yadav missed his half century as he was getting close to it, hitting back-to-back sixes from Adam Zampa. However, he edged one to the keeper in the following over off Cameron Green. He and KL Rahul had set the stage for Indian finishers to power India to a big total and they just that, thanks to Hardik Pandya’s blitz.
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India tried a new approach and sent Axar Patel over Dinesh Kartik. But the promotion failed as he he managed just a single boundary in his five-ball stay. Dinesh Kartik fell soon after that as Nathan Ellis finished with a three wicket haul.
India finally reached 208/6 thanks to Hardik Pandya’s 25-ball fifty. On his way to his second fifty, the finisher hammered two sixes and seven fours. The captain of the Gujarat Titans didn’t let slow down after his half ton, finishing the Indian innings with three consecutive sixes in the final over off Cameron Green.
Brief Scores: India 208/6 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 71 not out, KL Rahul 55; Nathan Elis 3/30, Josh Hazlewood 2/39) vs Australia.
