All-rounder Hardik Pandya was at his best as he brought his A-game to help Team India defeat Pakistan by five wickets in the Asia Cup Group A clash on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium. Pandya scored 33 runs off just 17 balls with the help of 4 fours and 1 six. In the final over, on the fourth ball, Pandya hit a six to seal the contest for India. However, Hardik's gesture after the third ball of the over has now gone viral.
India needed 6 runs to win from 4 balls and Hardik then played a dot ball against Mohammad Nawaz. It was then that Hardik gestured towards Dinesh Karthik, indicating that he has gotten it under control. The reaction has now gone viral on social media. It is important to note that as soon as he made the gesture, on the very next ball he ended up hitting a six.
It is important to note that Hardik had also taken 3 wickets in the game and for his all-round performance, he was adjudged as Player Of the Match.
"In a chase like this, you always plan over-by-over. I always knew that there is one young bowler (Naseem or Shahnawaz Dahani) and also one left-arm spinner (Nawaz)," Pandya said after the match.
"We only needed 7 off the last over but even if we needed 15, I'd have fancied myself. I know the bowler is under more pressure than me in the 20th over. I try to keep things simple," said India's No. 1 all-rounder.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar had returned with figures of 4-26 in his four overs as India bundled out Pakistan for 147. The experienced seamer also got the key breakthrough of Pakistan captain Babar Azam in the third over of the innings.
Team India will next square off against Hong Kong in Group A clash on Wednesday.