On Wednesday, Hardik Pandya wore a blue jersey, but unlike his previous experiences, this time the crowd cheered for him rather than jeering. The blue jersey was of the Indian national team, not the deep blue of the Mumbai Indians, for whom he faced a tough period during the IPL 2024. Pandya’s performance as an all-rounder was pivotal, taking three wickets with his fast-medium bowling and relishing the stumps he hit.
After enduring a challenging two and a half months as the captain of Mumbai Indians, Pandya seemed comfortable and at ease back in the Indian team’s colors. During the match, a presenter remarked on the large number of Indian fans present, asking Pandya if it felt like playing in Mumbai. Pandya responded well to this query. His four overs were crucial and something that his captain, Rohit Sharma, will likely rely on in the future to manage the team’s dynamics effectively.
Hardik Pandya said :
“Always special to play for the country, WC is something I’ve been able to contribute. I really liked the first wicket. Generally, don’t hit the stumps often, I have a tendency to bowl back of a length. But on this wicket, I needed to be a lot fuller to be in the game. Yes, if you bowl short, the ball may fly.”
https://x.com/hardikpandya7/status/1798408261307109723
Pandya Silences Critics with Masterful Bowling Display
On a favorable pitch, Pandya bowled 72 percent of his deliveries either on a length or just short of a good length, according to the pitch map. Of these, 44 percent were on a good length, which facilitated both swing and movement off the surface. His first wicket was of Lorcan Tucker, with a ball that swung in and uprooted the middle stump. Curtis Campher was his next victim, falling to a ball that pitched on length and seamed away.
Pandya’s superb bowling performance was a welcome change after facing continuous social media trolling and boos at various Indian venues. The crowd’s loud cheers of approval during this game must have been a delightful and encouraging sound for him.
He concluded by saying :
“It’s always fantastic to see crowd supporting us, we Indians are everywhere, we rule the world. Good to have so much support, many thanks to them.”
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