New Zealand vs India: Hardik Pandya smashes Todd Astle for a hat-trick of sixes

Hardik Pandya finally makes the headlines for some good reasons.

Published - 03 Feb 2019, 12:06 IST | Updated - 03 Feb 2019, 12:06 IST

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It was a brilliant fightback from Team India in the fifth ODI against New Zealand. After winning the toss and opting to bat first, the team was down to 18/4 within 10 overs. However, spirited efforts from Ambati Rayudu, Vijay Shankar and Kedar Jadhav helped the team get back on track. It was Hardik Pandya who took the responsibility to finish the innings on a high.

He provided the team with the final impetus as he scored a 22-ball 45. This special knock helped the team finish with 252 runs on the board. Coming in at number eight, he smashed two fours and five sixes during his stay in the middle. Three of those sixes were consecutive ones which came in the 47th over of the game off the bowling of Todd Astle.

Not the first time that Hardik Pandya has done this

Todd Astle was going well till then. He bowled four good overs under pressure and gave away only 17 runs. The first ball of the fifth over that he bowled was a dot. Then came the power game from Hardik Pandya. The second ball of the over was a short one inviting the all-rounder to go big. He gleefully accepted the request and smashed it over wide long-on.

Then, Hardik tried to slice the next ball and mistimed the shot. The ball hit the outer half of the bat. Yet, such was the intensity of the swing that it carried all the way. The third shot was a massive one and was way back into the stands.

Astle bowled this one on the legs. Hardik Pandya got down on his knee and unleashed a powerful sweep to make it a hat-trick of sixes. The last two balls of the over were dots. Earlier, Hardik also smashed Imad Wasim for three consecutive sixes during the Champions Trophy 2017 final.