Coming into the 3rd day of the Test, India knew that the Hardik Pandya-Virat Kohli partnership would be key to India’s chances of coming close to that South African total of 335.
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The day started with Pandya and Kohli picking up those quick singles and dispatching the loose ones to the boundary with disdain. And just when it seemed like the duo were settling into their own again, Hardik Pandya came up with the most criminal thing to do on the cricket field(not grounding your bat while running).
Hardik Pandya struck the ball down the ground an took off for the single, but seeing that the mid on was straighter this time, Kohli refused the single, and sent Pandya back.
Pandya who was mid-pitch by that time, turned to go back into his crease and it seemed like he would easily get back in, but Pandya decided to plonk his bat down instead of dragging his bat into the crease.
His feet were up in the air as well while the ball hit the stumps and thus he had to go back to the pavilion, head in hand.
On seeing the replays, Virat Kohli was livid, unable to fathom what Hardik Pandya had just done. Ravi Shastri too was unable to process what had just transpired.
Hardik Pandya couldn’t believe that he had committed a school boy error by not dragging his back into the crease and kept slapping himself on his way back to the pavilion.
Check out the video:
After Hardik’s departure, Ashwin greeted the South African bowlers with a flurry of boundaries, giving Kohli good company, but Philander picked him up in his first over with the new ball.
