Published By: Saksham Mishra

Hardik and Hafeez, the only holders of a niche record

Only Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Hafeez have scored 50 runs or more and picked up four wickets in the same match across formats.

 

Rare feat

 

Hardik Pandya became only the second player in International cricket to score 50 runs or more and pick up four wickets across all the three formats in International Cricket after Pakistan all-rounder Mohammed Hafeez achieved the feat.

 

In the Manchester ODI between India and England, Hardik took his best of 4 for 24 and then came back to play a valuable knock of 71 off just 55 deliveries.

 

All of his wickets came off short or short of good length deliveries. The wicket of Liam Livingstone was the one that stood out as the batter decided to take on Hardik's short deliveries and after a couple of lusty blows, fell right into the trap as he was caught brilliantly by Ravindra Jadeja at square leg.

 

Gutsy character

 

"I don't mind getting hit for six sixes as long as I take the wickets," Pandya said after the match. "That's Livingstone's game as well. He likes to take the chances on - some shots which he played I think, as a bowler, can break you. What I have observed about Livingstone is that he likes to take the short ball on, and when someone does that it just gives me goosebumps - either you win that battle or either I win the battle,"

 

"Even after two sixes, I told the captain as well: even if I go for four sixes, if I can take one wicket there, obviously it makes a big difference. I always feel that I am shameless as a bowler. I was smart. I only bend my back or only come out and bowl as quickly as possible when required. If you see a couple of games back, I was bowling 130s, 132s [kph] not because I was not able to do it' it was more about that situation. At that time, I felt that that would have been the ideal thing rather than coming and bending the back because they are used to top pace.

 

Pandya achieved the feat in T20 International cricket in the first match of that tour itself when he took four wickets and scored a half-century. He had earlier done the same against England in test cricket in 2018 at Nottingham.