Hardik Pandya - The man who gave a billion people hope after all was lost

The scoreboard read India 72-6. Kohli gone. Yuvraj gone. Dhoni gone. 267 runs needed at almost 8 runs per over with two new batsmen at the crease. Not in my wildest dreams had I imagined India performing so poorly in a cup final.

As I witnessed the massacre that occurred before my eyes, I utterly failed to process the reality of what was about to take place. It could not be. India losing in the final of an ICC event to their arch-rivals. It was what nightmares were made of.

There was something off about the Indian batting on the day. The confidence, the valour, the vigour was all gone. Kohli got a golden opportunity after being dropped in the slips, only to squander it on the very next delivery.

The ICC tournament master Shikhar Dhawan too fell to the beast that was Mohammad Amir. The man for big occasions Yuvraj Singh fell after getting off to a good start, and MS Dhoni….well, let’s not go there.

Amidst all the sloppiness, there was only one batsman who looked confident, and he had his captain’s backing when the entire country doubted him.

“I would any day back a guy like Hardik who provides you so much balance in conditions that he could be effective as a bowler. His batting is priceless. If you’re chasing a total and you need eight an over and you've lost wickets, he is a guy who can still win you the game,” said Kohli just a few days before the final. 

The Onslaught which will be remembered forever

As his innings progressed, the Baroda lad began to attack the Pakistani bowlers. As he went big and crossed the boundary rope with such ease, I couldn’t help but wonder if they were the same bowlers who had bamboozled the other Indian batsman.

He was picking up the ball effortlessly and his shot-making was impeccable. He was oozing confidence.

With every shot he struck off his bat, he repaid Kohli’s faith. And with every six he hit, he silenced all those critics who doubted his selection in the team.

Slowly but shortly, haters turned optimistic and the prayers were back. A sense of hope crept up every Indian’s shoulders as Pandya was giving the crowd something to cheer about.

And then the onslaught. Boom! Boom! Boom! Shadab Khan had got the wickets of Yuvraj Singh and Kedar Jadhav, and it was as if Pandya was taking revenge for that. The ease with which he hit those massive sixes was a sight to behold. Pandya was single-handedly getting India back into the game. He made it look so simple.

The way the match was shaping up, it reminded me of the historic Natwest Series final of 2002. Back then, a young Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif pulled off a highly unlikely victory for the Men in Blue when they had their backs against the wall.

It was that match which made my eight-year-old self a Yuvraj fan. As Pandya played one of the best innings of his life, many eight-year-olds watching the match would have found their new role model.

The heartbreak

The momentum was shifting and India were getting back into the game. But, of course, something just had to go wrong. With the amount of luck that had slipped out of India’s hand all through the day, there was no way they were getting away with the game.

And that’s one of the worst parts of sport – you start raising your hopes, only to get them crushed by something unimaginable.

As the horrible mix-up between Ravindra Jadeja and Pandya occurred, the Pakistanis erupted. For everyone watching on TV, with the camera focused on Hasan Ali dislodging the stumps at the bowler's end, there was a brief moment when we weren’t sure of who had to walk back to the pavilion.

For that brief moment, the whole country would have hoped for Jadeja to be dismissed. But alas, it was not to be. “And it is Pandya who has to walk back” blurted out the commentator.

My heart sank. Nothing hurts more than watching your favourite team/player lose. It is the worst type of heartbreak.

I could not hold myself back from hurling a few cuss words at Jadeja, who should have probably given up his wicket and allowed Pandya to stay at the crease.

And to add salt to the wound, Jadeja was dismissed shortly after sending Pandya back to the pavilion. From there, it was a mere formality for Pakistan who cleaned up the tail without any hesitation.

What if...

As Pakistan lifted the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time ever, I could not help but appreciate what they had done throughout the tournament. The manner in which they bounced back after losing the first game to India was nothing short of exceptional. They deserved all the credit they received, and they shut their critics up in the perfect manner.

The only positive I could take from the game was Pandya’s innings of course. With Dhoni and Yuvraj nearing the end of their respective careers, India seem to have found the perfect finisher.

At the end of the day, India were completely outplayed. However, at the back of my mind, I could not help but wonder what could have happened.

What if Pandya was not run out? What if Jadeja had sacrificed his wicket to let Pandya stay? What if Pandya took India all the way? 

What if….