VIDEO | Hardik Pandya successfully recovers 20m after his own overthrow to deny NZ an extra run
If India had missed one thing during Hardik Pandya’s absence, it was his fielding, which was enough to keep him in the team. Today, after taking a brilliant catch, Pandya showed his worth again by recovering the entire distance when his overthrow gave the Kiwi batsmen a chance to pick an extra run.
When Shikhar Dhawan’s wayward throw conceded an extra run for India, Pandya was visibly furious by that and asked Dhawan to be more careful while making the throws. While many on Twitter thought Pandya was unnecessarily making the fuss, he proved that being responsible on the field is not a matter of choice rather a role to be taken purposefully, always.
On the first ball of the 8th over, Ross Taylor tried a mini pull against a Mohammed Shami straight ball to short mid-wicket where Pandya was stationed. After collecting the ball, the Baroda all-rounder broke the stump at the bowler's end with a direct throw, but by then Kane Williamson was well inside the crease.
However, seeing the ball moving in the opposite direction after the impact with the stumps, Williamson thought of running for another run and then Pandya decided to make a full leap. He recovered the entire distance in a flash and the aggressive running meant Williamson and Taylor steered away from taking that extra run.