Hardik Pandya smashed a no-look six to get to his fifty during India’s 15-run win over England in the fourth T20I at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday.
Pandya hit Jamie Overton for a maximum on the first ball of the 18th over and that too without looking as India skipper Suryakumar Yadav too applauded the effort.
Overton missed the mark with his slower delivery but ended up sending it on a length and on off. Pandya cleared his front leg and pumped it back over the sight screen to bring up his fifty after 14 innings.
Pandya’s breathtaking blows and comeback man Shivam Dube’s belligerence took India to a par-score of 181/9 after the top-order failed to negotiate the short of length deliveries bowled by England pacers.
Coming in at No. 7, Pandya was stylish and destructive in equal measure hitting four boundaries and an equal number of maximums in his 30-ball-53.
Dube (53 off 34 balls) also didn’t do too badly in a stand of 87 off 48 balls for the sixth wicket.
Pandya began with an aggressive approach, then rotated the strike for a few overs before launching a brutal final assault on the English bowlers. However, his innings was cut short by one shot too many.
All-rounder Dube was hit on the helmet by a Jamie Overton bouncer and seamer Harshit Rana replaced him despite it not being a like-for-like replacement as concussion substitute rules mandate.
Harshit Rana claimed three wickets in his debatable appearance to help India to a series-clinching victory against England as the visitors were 166 all out with two deliveries left in their innings as India grabbed an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

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