ENG vs IND, 1st T20I: Hardik Pandya won the Player of the Match award after scoring 51 runs and taking four wickets for the Men in Blue at the Rose Bowl.
Hardik Pandya of India. credit: AP
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- Hardik Pandya won the Player of the Match award in the first T200I
- India beat England by 50 runs in Rose Bowl
- Hardik took 4 wickets and scored 51 runs
All-rounder Hardik Pandya said that he is in better shape with his cricket after getting a break from international cricket earlier this year. On Thursday, July 7, Pandya became the Player of the Match after India won the match by 50 runs in the first T20I against England at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.
Pandya scored his maiden T20I half-century in 30 balls, after which he took four wickets, giving India a crucial 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
“Last time I played T20 in England, I think I took 4 wickets and scored some 30 runs. So I knew I was the first Indian to score a half-century and take 4 wickets. I just enjoy my cricket. I have been,” Pandya said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
Pandya, who also won the POTM award for Gujarat Titans in the final of IPL 2022, conceded that one should be fit enough to put 100 per cent on the field.
“For me, it takes a lot of time to prepare my body for what it is. The kind of break I took before this game, I want to capitalize on the opportunities. I thought I needed that break. It’s about giving your 100% and when you don’t, there’s no point in playing. That’s why I needed that break and now I am happy to be at this place.”
Pandya was dropped from the T20 squad after he failed to live up to the expectations in the 2021 T20 World Cup in Oman and the United Arab Emirates. However, a scintillating run in the IPL helped him make a comeback for the Men in Blue in the limited overs format.
The second T20I of the three-match series will take place on Saturday, 9 July at Edgbaston in Birmingham.
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