IND vs PAK 2022: "He was waiting for the last bit" - Sanath Jayasuriya heaps praise on Hardik Pandya for heroics against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022
Former Sri Lanka all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya was left impressed by Hardik Pandya's exploits against Pakistan on Sunday, August 28, in the 2022 Asia Cup. The Gujarat Titans skipper stepped up in a high-pressure game to leave an impact with both bat and ball as India registered a five-wicket win over their arch-rivals.
He bowled his full quota of four overs to register figures of 3-25 before steering the run chase in the death overs. The all-rounder scored 33 off just 17 deliveries to help India scale the 148-run target with two balls to spare.
For his exceptional performances across all departments, Pandya was named the Player of the Match.
We fought. We fought real hard! And we’ll keep fighting 🇮🇳 https://t.co/7esrZxg74l
The updated list of most runs scorer in Asia Cup can be viewed here.
Crediting Hardik Pandya for the match-winning display, Sanath Jayasuriya said in an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda:
"I'm so proud of him, I'm so happy for him. This is what India wants, to win a match against Pakistan, and he delivered. This is a team game though, it came down to the last ball, but everyone contributed.
"The Indian bowlers bowled well to restrict Pakistan down to 147. The Pakistan bowlers also played a huge role in taking the game deep till the final over. It was a great game and full credit to Hardik Pandya."
On a rather tricky surface at the Dubai International Stadium, the Men in Blue lost wickets in the middle overs. With the required rate hovering near the 10 runs per over mark, the onus was on Pandya to close the chase out.
The all-rounder scored three boundaries in the penultimate over off Haris Rauf to ease the pressure before finishing the proceedings in style.
Praising Pandya's finishing skills, Jayasuriya said:
"Everyone wants to see India vs Pakistan, this is the match where the players from both countries want to win. I thought Pandya was really good and he was waiting for the last bit."
The legendary Sri Lankan all-rounder added:
"The last two overs were very crucial and he batted really well. You play, you enjoy your cricket and you play to your strengths, and he knows what his strengths are, and he executed his plans really well."
"We have seen Hardik Pandya plenty of times playing such an innings" - Sanath Jayasuriya
The all-rounder's journey came to a full circle after the match-winning display in Dubai. He was stretchered off in the last edition of the Asia Cup four years ago.
The injury prevented Pandya from bowling long spells and it took a significant rehabilitation spell post the 2021 T20 World Cup for him to find his mojo back.
The comeback is greater than the setback 🇮🇳 https://t.co/KlnD4GZ4ZO
He is now an indispensable member of the T20I setup following his contributions over the last couple of months. Claiming that Pandya has shown the world what he is capable of in high pressure situations, Jayasuriya added:
"This is what cricket is all about. Hardik Pandya showed his experience and calmness. Pakistan bowled really well, they only had 147 to defend and they restricted India to some extent."
Jayasuriya concluded:
"We have seen Hardik Pandya plenty of times playing such an innings, even in the IPL."
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