Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya demolished the South African bowling attack twice after returning to the shortest format of international cricket after a two-month absence due to injury. He rescued India in the first game and then dominated the Protea attack in the final match of the series at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Hardik Pandya turned on his beast mode as soon as he reached the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad for the final match of the T20 series of India’s tour of South Africa. Pandya returned to Ahmedabad on one of his most famous and favorite tracks across India.
Having played for Gujarat Titans, Pandya spent a lot of time batting on these grounds and he showed why he is often considered one of the finest all-rounders in modern cricket. Pandya made a comeback and started hitting with the very first ball. He completed the second fastest T20I half-century for India in just 18 balls and scored 63 runs.
Hardik Pandya’s dominance surprised the former South African fast bowler
Hardik Pandya’s courageous innings was witnessed by legendary South African fast bowler Dale Steyn and he praised the Indian all-rounder. And what impressed them more was not Pandya’s explosive strokeplay but his steadfast approach and determined mindset.
He said that Hardik operates at a different mental level and his presence on the field is completely unmatched. Speaking about him on JioStar, the former South African claimed that Pandya has moved from being just a player to becoming a superhero.
He felt that the way Hardik Pandya commands the field and exerts his dominance; It is nothing more than sheer dominance and the ability to remain mentally untouched. According to him, Hardik Pandya has taken power-hitting to another level because it is not just a skill he possesses.
Dale Steyn looked unhappy with South Africa’s reserve strategy against Jasprit Bumrah
Dale Steyn, on the same show, after praising Hardik’s mentality, criticized the South African pacers’ lack of intent against India’s premier bowlers such as Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy.
He clearly realized that simply surviving Bumrah’s spell was not the best strategy when the team was chasing a mammoth target of 230 runs. Once Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Quinton de Kock, it increased the pressure on the Proteas and Varun Chakravarthy soon found his rhythm and cleaned up the Proteas middle order.
With this, Dale Steyn made his point that often Jasprit Bumrah’s impact is more than just his wickets. He suggested that South Africa should have taken risks even against the top bowlers as wickets would have kept falling anyway.
Stan was impressed by the quality and variety of Varun Chakraborty
Steyn also praised the Kolkata Knight Riders spinner a lot. Varun Chakravarthy easily dominated the middle-order batsmen during the middle phase of the game, as they failed to take him on.
Chakravarthy really has a wide range of bowling variations along with different release techniques and some smart variations in pace as well as amazing control. Steyn admitted that, except for Aiden Markram, no one in the South African middle order understands him.
Even Aiden Markram becomes more cautious when Chakravarthy controls his line and length, which Steyn believes is the worst mindset for any batsman in the T20 format. Varun Chakraborty took four wickets in the game in Ahmedabad.
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