Why Hardik’s 33 ranks higher than Rohit’s 100 in Kohli’s book

Not often you score an unbeaten 33 off 14 balls and end up getting more praise than the one who has scored a 100 off 56, that too from your captain. But being Hardik Pandya too is not the luxury that everyone possesses. Handle such rare talent and keep on delivering match winning performances is not everyone’s cup of tea.

Not often you score an unbeaten 33 off 14 balls and end up getting more praise than the one who scored a 100 not out off 56, that too from your captain. But being Hardik Pandya too is not the luxury that everyone possesses. Handle such rare talent and keep on delivering match-winning performances is not everyone’s cup of tea.

Hardik Pandya once again proved why he is regarded as one of India’s most trusted match winners in white ball cricket. On Sunday, Pandya justified the tag of an all-rounder in every sense, picking up 4 wickets for 38 runs and then scoring an unbeaten 33 off 14 balls, when the required rate was touching 10.

By sheer numbers and impact, Pandya’s bowling performance was the superior factor in the series deciding 3rd T20I. He came back to pick up four wickets in his last three overs giving away only 16 runs after he had been clobbered for 22 in his first over. But Kohli, for all the right reasons, says Pandya’s 33 runs were the biggest take away of India’s emphatic series win, more than Rohit’s record 3rd T20I ton, more than the astonishing comeback by the young Indian bowlers on a small ground.

“I think Pandya’s innings was a bigger take away than even Rohit’s century,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation.

The Indian captain is not wrong in his assertion. That Rohit is a prolific limited overs batsman, is a given. This, by no means demeans his superlative century on Sunday, that made him only the second cricketer to register three T20I hundreds. But there was a sense of inevitability about Rohit’s innings. It is almost take for granted that Rohit would single handedly win his team at least one match in a series. Therefore, his ton after a subdued first couple of matches was more routine than take-away factor as far as India are concerned. For Pandya, especially his batting skills against seamers, that was not the case.

Despite his splashes of brilliance with the bat, Pandya was always seen as someone who thrives on spinners and thinks twice before going after the medium pacers. He proved everyone, apart from his captain, who always had the belief, wrong, when he nonchalantly hit Chris Jordan straight back over his head for a six or pulled Jake Ball over square leg. He had time, there was no shortage of composure, in fact he enjoyed the ball coming on to the bat more than he ever did.

“More often than not he will play such innings in the back end. The way he bowled gave him confidence. He's a fearless individual. That's what the team wants him to do," Kohli added.