Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya impressed one and all with his skillful display on comeback to the Indian team. The Baroda lad was playing his first international game since September 2018. But he showed no nerves and ended with figures of 2/45. He bowled a tight spell.
His first five overs yielded just nine runs and played an important role in creating pressure on the Black Caps batsmen. In his second spell, the lanky player took two wickets as well.
Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly was of full of praise for Hardik Pandya. “He (Pandya) showed great mental strength. With time, everything cools off and his approach to the match was also quite better. He adds to the strength of the team,” Ganguly told India TV.
Pandya also grabbed plenty of eyeballs with his two-handed flying catch to dismiss New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson. Pandya’s grab was superman-esque. The third ODI was quite reflective of how Pandya adds to the team in all the three facets of the game.
India have already won the five-match ODI series. They will take on New Zealand in the fourth ODI on January 31.