England v India - Third ODI: Brilliant Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant swin series India’s way at Old Trafford

By David Charlesworth
Published 17th Jul 2022, 19:19 BST
Captain's knock: England's Jos Buttler top-scored for England. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.Captain's knock: England's Jos Buttler top-scored for England. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.
Captain's knock: England's Jos Buttler top-scored for England. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.
Hardik Pandya’s all-round magnificence and Rishabh Pant’s 125 not out off 113 balls carried India to a five-wicket win in their one-day international series decider against England.

Pandya dismissed Jason Roy and Ben Stokes in an outstanding opening burst before returning to take the wickets of Liam Livingstone and Jos Buttler in the same over to finish with an ODI-best 4-24.

Buttler top-scored with 60 off 80 balls in England’s 259 all out in 45.5 overs, but that was put in the shade by Hardik’s 71 off 55 deliveries in a decisive 133-run stand with Pant at Emirates Old Trafford.

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While Reece Topley followed up his England record 6-24 on Thursday with the prize scalps of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli, Pant and Pandya expertly led the recovery from 72 -4.

Best yet: Rishabh Pant scored his maiden ODI century and eventually reached 125 not out as India battled back to claim a series-clinching five-wicket win over England at Old Trafford. Picture: Mike Egerton/PABest yet: Rishabh Pant scored his maiden ODI century and eventually reached 125 not out as India battled back to claim a series-clinching five-wicket win over England at Old Trafford. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA
Best yet: Rishabh Pant scored his maiden ODI century and eventually reached 125 not out as India battled back to claim a series-clinching five-wicket win over England at Old Trafford. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA

The pair offered chances but grew in confidence with temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius and, while Hardik departed with 55 required, Pant’s unbeaten ton featuring 16 fours and two sixes got India over the line with 7.5 overs to spare.

A carnival-style atmosphere greeted Pant’s maiden ODI century, in which he accelerated after going past 50. He mixed orthodox strokes with his own unique brilliance, giving England a lesson after they failed to bat out their 50 overs for the third time in a series they lost 2-1.

After being asked to bat first, Roy settled with an authoritative punch, the first of three fours in Mohammed Shami’s opening over.

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But if England were relieved at Jasprit Bumrah’s absence, it was quickly put into perspective as his replacement Mohammed Siraj exploited some early movement to find the edges of Yorkshire pair Jonny Bairstow and then Joe Root.

All-round effort: India's Hardik Pandya impressed with bat and ball during India's five-wicket win. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.All-round effort: India's Hardik Pandya impressed with bat and ball during India's five-wicket win. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.
All-round effort: India's Hardik Pandya impressed with bat and ball during India's five-wicket win. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.

Roy continued to assert himself and Stokes was bullish in a 54-run union off 47 balls, but Pandya put the brakes on in a terrific opening spell of 4-3-2-2. Roy skied a top edge to depart for 41, while a charging Stokes got in a tangle after Pandya dragged his length back and offered a return catch on 27.

Moeen Ali briefly sparkled but was caught down the leg-side for 34 after a 75-run stand with Buttler, who went to a 65-ball fifty soon after, not his slowest effort but one of his more sedate and his first since succeeding Eoin Morgan as England white-ball captain on a full-time basis.

Livingstone was punchy but perished in the deep on 27 looking for his third six off the returning Pandya, with Buttler holing out three balls later before England’s 200 was up.

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