Hyderabad: All-rounder Hardik Pandya and wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan pulled India out of trouble with their respective knocks of 87 and 82 in their Asia Cup game against Pakistan on Saturday, but the duo who put on a crucial 138-run stand missed on deserving centuries.
While it would have been Hardik Pandya's maiden ODI hundred, it would have been Kishan's second
Former India all-rounder Suresh Raina hailed the duo for their effort. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Raina wrote - What a stellar partnership when India needed it most! 👏🤝 @ishankishan551& @hardikpandya77, your exceptional performance on the field today was a true game-changer! 🙌 #indvspak #AsiaCup
29-year-old Hardik, who is playing his 78th ODI, has the highest score of 92. The Baroda all-rounder had the opportunity to score his maiden hundred in the fifty-over format but he missed the opportunity after he perished in the 44th over. Ditto with Kishan, who has a double hundred to his name in the ODI. Kishan was firing on all cylinders in the knock against Pakistan but gave a skier to rival skipper Babar Azam when he was on 82.
Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad also praised the duo for bailing the team out of trouble.
"Top quality from Ishan Kishan who has been consistent in the opportunities he has got, 4th successive half-century and under pressure. And Hardik showing great maturity and thriving under pressure. Good effort to get to 266 after being 66/4, but ohh the DLS. #INDvsPAK (sic)," wrote Prasad, who played for Karnataka.
For the record, it was Kishan's 19th ODI game after making his debut against Sri Lanka at the famed R Premdasa Stadium in Colombo.
