Hardik Pandya gave Team India an important breakthrough in the 13th over of Pakistan’s innings during the current 2023 World Cup match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Imam was returned by the Hardik Pandya with a length delivery outside the off-stump. The southpaw attempted to go for a drive but was unable to connect. He could only obtain an outside edge, which fell into the palms of goalie KL Rahul.
After scoring 36 runs off 38 deliveries, Imam had a long walk back.
Interestingly, Hardik Pandya was seen saying something to the ball, frustratedly shouting when the ball didn’t move. While it isn’t clear what he said, it was beneficial for his team.
Following the dismissal, several fans expressed their thoughts on social media regarding Hardik Pandya behavior/actions in the World Cup game.
Here are a few of the greatest responses:
It’s worth noting that Pakistan’s openers Imam-ul-Haq (36) and Abdullah Shafique (20) got off to good starts but couldn’t convert them into significant scores.
Shoaib Akhtar slams India’s choice to bowl first against Pakistan
Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar believes that Team India skipper Rohit Sharma made the wrong decision by electing to field first after winning the toss. He opined that the Pakistan cricket team has a significant chance to achieve a high score in the beginning, considering the batting-friendly conditions at the venue.
Akhtar said in a video uploaded on his Twitter handle:
“It is a very good wicket. Rohit Sharma winning the toss and fielding first is beyond me. Also, I don’t know why they didn’t play an extra spinner. I am very happy that Pakistan got to bat first here. They are off to a flyer. It was not a wise decision by India. They have given Pakistan a chance to score big runs.”
Pakistan captain Babar Azam hit a magnificent half-century in the 2023 World Cup match. The No. 1 ODI batsman scored 50 runs before being struck out in the 30th over by Mohammed Siraj.