Abu Dhabi: There is no better stage to hog limelight and cement one’s place in the Indian team than a contest against Pakistan.
But it also has its own set of adversities — the clash could turn out to be a make-or-break moment. A slip-up and it could be curtains to one’s career or a lasting blot, as a certain Chetan Sharma would testify.
The former Indian paceman learnt it the hard way when Javed Miandad hoisted him for a six off the last ball to clinch the Australasia Cup in 1986. That infamous incident has struck with Sharma till date. “Nobody remembers me for the World Cup’s first hat-trick I took in 1987 when I bowled out New Zealand’s Ken Rutherford, Ian Smith and Ivan Chatfiled,” he rued.
Sunday’s clash was no different where under the scanner was a young Hardik Pandya — who has been billed as India’s next go to all-rounder ever since he made his international debut only last year.
The youngster, who had honed his skills under the watchful eyes of Rahul Dravid during his India A stint and did well for champions Mumbai Indians in the recently concluded Indian Premier League, had garnered strong backing from the current skipper Virat Kohli.
Having gained ‘vital tips’ from Mahendra Singh Dhoni on how to finish off matches, this overseas assignment was about getting everything right for Pandya and showing that he is rightfully in the team.
In the warm-up match against New Zealand, Pandya didn’t get an opportunity to bat and gave away 49 runs in six overs without success. But against Bangladesh when India smashed 324 for seven, Pandya was instrumental in hammering a 54-ball 80 and bagged one wicket in 1.5 overs giving just two runs.
Speaking on the eve of the encounter, he had dismissed there was any pressure on him and it was all about adjusting to the conditions in England, which is “never easy, whether it is with the bat or ball.”
On Sunday, he gave enough evidence of his quick adapting ability and emerged as the new Mr Utility. On an important evening, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh made their bat talk handsomely and Pandya had just a few deliveries to make his presence felt.
He snatched his share of limelight with three stunning successive sixes off left-arm spinner Imad Wasim to leave the crowd in ruptures and finished with an unbeaten 20 off just six deliveries.
After that brilliant cameo, the focus shifted immediately to his bowling, which has been rated erratic and expensive at times. One expected the Pakistan batsmen to go after Pandya given his inexperience on the big stage but the latter seemed to have read the English conditions well. He focused on line and length to bowl in the right areas and extracted enough from the wicket to trouble the Pakistan middle order batsmen with his pace.
His rewards — Imad Wasim caught on a short-pitched delivery for a duck and then the prized wicket of Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmad caught behind.
His fielding capabilities too came to fore when he took a brilliant catch on the boundary to dismiss Azhar Ali, who was threatening to come good on a forgettable day for the Pakistan.
This show would certainly help Pandya retain his place in the XI for the coming matches despite the presence of some of the heavyweights like Ravichandran Ashwin.
