hardik pandya Proving once again why he is considered one of the most elite athletes in world cricket with breathtaking talent on the field. During a very risky match in the fourth T20 match new zealand At Vizag, his lightning-quick reflexes turned a routine single into a game-changing success for the team India. By executing an almost impossible direct hit, he removed the dangerous michel santner As soon as the Kiwi captain started finding his rhythm.
IND vs NZ, 4th T20I: Hardik Pandya uses direct-hit stunner to dismiss Mitchell Santner
Getting Santner out at 16.1 was a masterclass in modern fielding, showcasing the explosive athleticism that Hardik has brought to the Indian side. It started with a subtle back-of-a-length delivery from Jasprit Bumrah, which forced Santner to make room, allowing the batsman to close the face of his bat a little early after scoring 11 runs from 6 balls.
The resulting outside edge moved towards short third man, a position where batsmen often felt safe enough to steal a quick, opportunistic single to rotate the strike. Sensing a momentary lapse in concentration, Santner took off running, but he grossly underestimated the pace of Pandya, who was moving in the inner circle. Harden pounced on the ball with the grace of a hunter, collected it cleanly in one fluid motion and then delivered a sharp, flat throw that behaved like a guided missile.
The ball whistled through the air and hit the base of the stump at the bowler’s end with pinpoint accuracy, leaving the Kiwi captain just short of his ground. Despite Santner’s desperate, full-length dive, the third umpire confirmed the ‘out’ signal, reducing New Zealand’s score to 163/6 and halting their momentum. This act of genius was a reminder that Pandya remains India’s premier game-changer, capable of creating wickets out of thin air even without the ball in hand.
Here is the video:
bullseye 🎯
Hardik Pandya with a brilliant direct hit.
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New Zealand sets a big target for India in Vizag T20I
Fourth T20 match was seen in Visakhapatnam New Zealand made a strong score of 215/7 India won the toss and decided to field first in humid conditions. Tim Seifert He led the way with a blistering 62 off 36 balls and registered the fastest T20I half-century by a New Zealander in just 25 balls against India. devon conway He provided brilliant support, scoring 44 runs from 23 balls, as the pair stitched a century opening partnership in just 8.2 overs to stun the Indian attack.
India finally got success when -Kuldeep Yadav Removed Conway, and finished his spell with important middle-over figures of 2/39 from his 4 overs. After this Bumrah immediately dismissed Rachin Ravindra For 2, he eventually finished his quota with 1/38 despite a late attack. The Kiwis suffered a massive middle-order collapse, slipping from an impressive score of 100/0 to 152/5. Ravi Bishnoi taken out mark chapman (9). Arshdeep Singh Proved to be important at the time of death, removing the dangerous Seifert. Zachary Faulks (13) To conclude with the streamlined figures of 2/35. Rinku Singh Was a magnet in the field, taking an incredible 4 catches in the entire innings to keep the pressure on the visitors’ lower order.
darryl mitchell He proved to be the hero of the final innings for the Black Caps, scoring an unbeaten 39 in just 18 balls to take the score past 200. Mitchell’s cameo included a huge six and a four in the final over. Harshit RanaWho struggled under pressure and gave 14 runs in the 20th. Leading the series 3-0, India now need 216 runs at a required rate of 10.8 per over to maintain their perfect record. all eyes are on sanju samsonWho is desperate for a big score after scoring only 16 runs in his last 3 innings in this series.
Also read: IND vs NZ: This is why Ishan Kishan is not playing today’s fourth T20 match in Visakhapatnam