India registered a comprehensive win against England in the series decider in Manchester on 17th July, Sunday, to complete a historic 2-1 series win over the victory over the hosts following their T20I series. Jos Buttler’s start to captaincy has been turbulent thanks to Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya, who were at their best in an important game. The Indian all-rounder shared a video on his Instagram after his heroics at Old Trafford.
Hardik Pandya has been in red hot form since he made a comeback to competitive cricket earlier this year, with his magnificent IPL 2022 campaign being a testament to that. He led the Gujarat Titans to an IPL trophy in their debut season and his first stint as full-time skipper in the tournament.
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The 28-year-old has now reached his prime fitness and seems to be at the peak of his prowess. But the journey to the top wasn’t easy for Hardik Pandya as his career was plagued with injuries, especially the lower-back issues, which restricted his bowling to great extent.
Hardik Pandya had undergone spine surgery in 2019 after consultation with the BCCI medical team, and was sidelined from action until November 2020. Hardik shared a montage in an Instagram post on July 18, highlighting his recovery post the 2019 surgery and his journey to the summit of the cricketing world. He also thanked his family members for standing behind him in tough situations.
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Captioning the video on Instagram, Hardik Pandya said, “Through the ups and downs, with my people by my side. Woke up every morning raring to go, with the will to become stronger, with the will to become fitter and play for my country. Always grateful to those who stood by me, who encouraged me, who guided me 🙏❤️”.
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Meanwhile, the Indian star was awarded the Player of the Series award for his brilliant display throughout. He was influential in the series decider as he picked four crucial scalps, including Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone, which was one of the turning points of the match. His 130-run stand with Pant brought India to the cusp of victory after being dismissed for a combative 71 off 55 deliveries.
