Hardik Pandya will send shivers down opposition spines, says Steve Waugh
Steve Waugh heaped praise on the Indian team as he singled out all-rounder Hardik Pandya for special praise as India registered a 36-run win against Australia on Sunday. Waugh added that the World Cup remains wide open at the moment and said that the top six teams are in contention for the title.
Australia lost their first match at the ongoing ICC World Cup 2019 at the hands of a determined Indian team led by Virat Kohli. The defending champions were humbled by a young Indian side led by Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Kohli at the top. Ultimately, Aaron Finch & Co. fell short of the target of 353 set by India by 36 runs.
Former Australia captain Steve Waugh heaped praise on the Indian team who singled out Hardik Pandya as the player to watch out in the coming weeks in England.
"India against Australia was always going to be a highly charged encounter between two teams that have met on numerous occasions over the past 12 months. This rivalry has revealed no clear dominance by either but India’s victory in the pressure cooker of a World Cup clash will provide them with enormous confidence as they move forward in this tournament.
"It was an important toss to win for India as the Oval pitch had previously been used and was clearly one that slowed down as the match went on. India’s batting display was both measured and calculated with their plan clear and well executed. Their plan is to lay a foundation by not losing wickets and they stuck to it. But it’s the innings of Hardik Pandya that will send shivers down opposition spines. This guy might just be the equivalent of Lance Klusener in the 1999 World Cup. He has the ability to begin his innings like most finish with clean hitting that no opposing captain can protect," Waugh wrote in his column in Scroll.in.
Waugh, who played 325 ODI matches, further heaped praise on skipper Kohli who was quick to defend Australian cricket Steve Smith after the win on Sunday.
"Leadership reveals itself in many forms but I thought Virat Kohli’s gesture in calming down the rough reception given to Steve Smith from the Indian spectators was a class act that calmed a volatile situation.
"India will walk away from this match full of confidence as most of their key players did exactly what needed to be done under extreme pressure and their game plan was executed perfectly," Waugh added.
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