Hardik Pandya hits 34 in an over for maiden List A ton
Saturday morning marked Hardik Pandya’s return to fifty-over cricket as he represented Baroda in the Vijay Hazare Trophy against Vidarbha in the Round 5 fixtures of Elite Group B in Rajkot, with both teams eyeing a knockout berth.
Pandya, who last played a fifty-over match in the ICC Champions Trophy Final, returned in spectacular fashion. He scored his first List A century with a blistering innings that included 34 runs in a single over, rescuing his team from a challenging position, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Batting at 66* off 62 balls, the India all-rounder faced left-arm orthodox spinner Parth Rekhade in the 39th over of the first innings. True to his aggressive style, Pandya immediately put the bowler under pressure from the very first delivery, forcing errors from Rekhade.
After sending the first two balls for sixes, the spinner misjudged his length on the next two deliveries, which Pandya punished with authority. By the end of the over, Pandya was unbeaten on 96, inching closer to a historic six sixes in an over. Rekhade then bowled a yorker, which Pandya handled perfectly, driving it straight down the ground for a four to bring up his first List A century.
Notably, just a few overs ahead of the over, the same bowler almost got Pandya out at the 32.4 over mark on a length ball on the fourth stump, but unfortunately for Rekhade, Yash Rathod at long on couldn't hold onto the catch and Pandya took a single to move on to 57*.
This century from the batter also came in at a crucial point, as Vidarbha found themselves all over Baroda after they had reduced them to 71/5 in 19.1 overs when he walked in to bat and soon lost his brother Krunal at 23(50), when the score read 136/6 in 30.3 overs.
As things stand, Pandya has guided them to 258/7 in 45 overs and is currently batting at 132*(89) with the help of 8 fours and 11 towering sixes to his name.
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