Hardik Pandya’s all-around performance

India knew that they would be in control of the Test if they could gain a lead of 100 or so runs. This work was done by Hardik Pandya who picked important wickets of Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid and Stuart Broad to pick his career best bowling figures of 5/28 in just 6 overs.

He took those 5 wickets in a spell of 29 balls and triggered a collapse for England, from which they couldn’t recover, being bowled out for 161 and giving India a lead of 168 runs. Pandya bowled the lengths necessary to get wickets and even employed the short ball pretty well.

Then he performed with the bat as well. India was already in a good position after Pujara’s 72 and Virat Kohli’s 103, but India needed a substantial lead in quick time to have that cushion of a large lead in the fourth innings.

That’s when they turned to Hardik Pandya and he came up with a run-a-ball 52 with 7 fours and 1 six. His innings took the Indian lead over 500 runs and proved crucial in the long run.