Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh believes Hardik Pandya’s blistering 59 off 28 balls was the turning point of the opening T20I in Cuttack, stating that without his knock, India would have barely had a total to defend. Yet, Harbhajan added that Hardik’s heroics ultimately mattered little in the grand scheme of things, given how comprehensively South Africa collapsed in the chase.
India were in early trouble on a challenging red-soil surface after being asked to bat first. At 78/4 in the 12th over, the innings was slipping away before Hardik walked in and completely changed the momentum. His counterattacking fifty—packed with clean hits and fearless intent—lifted India to 175/6, a score that looked competitive but not unassailable at the break.
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However, the match turned one-sided soon after, as India’s bowlers ran through the South African batting lineup ruthlessly. The visitors were bowled out for a paltry 74—just 15 runs more than Hardik’s individual score—handing India a dominant 101-run win and a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Reflecting on the match, Harbhajan Singh said on his YouTube channel, “If Hardik Pandya hadn’t played that knock, India wouldn’t have had anything to defend. But eventually, it didn’t even matter. Where is 175 and where is 74? Winning a T20 game by 101 runs, that too in conditions where chasing becomes easier due to dew, is massive. This is India’s mindset—they don’t care about the toss, only the result.”
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Hardik’s return from injury couldn’t have been more impactful. Besides his explosive batting, he struck with his very first ball, removing the dangerous David Miller and finishing with impressive figures of 2/16 from two overs—earning the Player of the Match award.
Harbhajan added that South Africa would have walked into the chase with confidence, especially after gunning down a record 359 in the second ODI in Raipur. But this time, India’s bowlers ensured there would be no miracle.
