After a horrible start in𒆙 the first ODI of the series against Australia, Team India ended up with a highly respectable total o🌄f 281 with the loss of seven wickets.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, India got off to the worst possible st𒅌art a𝓰s they lost their top order within no time.
Australian pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile wrecked havoc as he ripped through the Indian top order picking up the wickets of Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli and Manish Pandey, the latter two who were dismissed for a duck.
With India struggling at 87-5, things were looking really bleak and it looked like the Men in Blue wouldn’t even reach 200. However, Hardik Pandya took matters into his own hands during the middle overs as he smashed Adam Zampa all around the park. He scored 83 off just 66 balls with five fours and fi🎐🧸ve maximums.
WATCH: Hardik Pandya hits a four and 3 consecutive sixes off Adam Zampa
MS Dhoni played second fiddle during their 118 run partnershiᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚp by picking up singles and giving the strik🤪e to Pandya.
However, it was vintage Dhoni towards the end of the innings as he ended up sco☂ring 79 in 88 deliveries with four fours and two sixes to his name.
Cricketing world showered rich praise on Pandya and Dhoni for their innings.
"He's finished,plays too slow"often heard yet plays a vintage Dhoni inns.Always to the rescue,best of India
— zainab abbas (@ZAbbasOfficial)
Hardik Pa🎶ndya has made it a habit of playing the big impact innings. Seeing one♛ currently. Amazing stuff!
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar)
Posting 280 incredible effort from 11-3. Can't underestimate influence on India's middle order, brilliant.
— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket)
Faulkner has got away with a few no-balls. Time to ge🎶t the 3rd umpire involved with the front foot no-ball
— Deep Dasgupta (@DeepDasgupta7)
Co🐼ngratulations ♉ on your 100th International half century and aptly it happens in Chennai.
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281)
Yet another 100 for ! This time in front of the stumps! Congratulations on a centur🐼y of 50💞s Mahi 👍🏻
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt)
//twitter.com/dizzy259/status/909381861582946309
//twitter.com/MoeenAli/status/909373059970273280
Brilliant innings from Pandya 83 off only 66 baꦰlls.
— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23)
Tabadhtodh ballebaaji class 👏🏼👏🏼
— Mandeep Singh (@mandeeps12)
FIFTY! brings up his 66th ODI 50
— BCCI (@BCCI)
