IND vs SA: Hardik Pandya Should Have Taken A Single In The Final Over - Ashish Nehra

Former Indian cricketer Ashish Nehra said that Hardik Pandya shouldn’t have denied the single to Dinesh Karthik, who is a well-known finisher and in excellent form at the moment, in the first T20I against South Africa.

Nehra joked that it would have been understandable if it was him who was at the non-striker but denying a single to an established batter like Karthik shouldn’t be acceptable.

“He should have taken a single in that final over. Dinesh Karthik was at the other end, it wasn’t me,” Nehra was quoted as saying in an interaction with Cricbuzz.

“He has the ability and the game to bat in any situation” – Ashish Nehra

Nehra lavished praise on Hardik’s ability to bat anywhere in the order. For the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2022 season, Hardik primarily promoted himself and played at No. 3 but for India, he is a specialist finisher on most occasions.

“Hardik Pandya is such an actor that can play any role. Be it, a hero, or a villain. If you want him to play the heroine, he can do that also, because he has the ability and the game to bat in any situation.”

“Not just in T20I cricket but also in the 50-over format and Test cricket. He has incredible ability in his batting.

“He can score runs in No. 4 and No. 3 as well. Hardik Pandya has played this finisher’s role for a long time. He can bat anywhere because of his ability and the work he has done,” he said.

South Africa chased down the mammoth target of 212 in the first T20I to take a 1-0 lead against the hosts.

Also Read – IND vs SA: Sometimes You Got To Give Credit To The Opposition, Miller and Rassie Batted Brilliantly – Rishabh Pant After 7-Wicket Defeat To South Africa