The X-factor: Hardik Pandya delivers once again when his team needed him the most

In the India Premier League player auction, Ben Stokes had made quite a splash after being picked up for Rs 12.50 crore by Rajasthan Royals.

The Englishman is widely regarded as the best all-rounder among the current breed. So, it was no wonder that the 27-year-old walked into the England playing XI for the T20I series decider against India immediately after his return from injury.

He was brought into the side at the expense of Joe Root, England’s best batsman. It was pretty evident how highly Stokes is rated in English cricketing circles. He is known as a match-winner, who can change the tide of the game. The man who possesses the X-factor.

The script, though, did not play out that way. There was another all-rounder in the park who stood up when his team needed him the most. Unfortunately for Stokes and England, that all-rounder was India’s Hardik Pandya.

Pandya and Stokes are very much alike. Both are fast-bowling all-rounders. Both are known for their match-winning prowess, either with the bat or with the ball. On Sunday, though it was the former who emerged on top.

Beating the conditions

The lanky 24-year-old changed the tide of the game with a fine four-wicket haul to help India pull things back after England’s openers had put their side on course for 220-plus score. Pandya cleaned up the middle-order, that included Stokes, restricting the hosts to 198/9.

After being asked to bat first, England’s Jason Roy and Jos Buttler went hammer and tongs after the Indian bowling. Pandya, himself, was thrashed in his opening over. But he came back strong, delivering the crucial breakthroughs that halted England’s juggernaut just enough to give India the momentum heading into the chase.

On a wicket that provided little purchase either for the pacers or spinners, Pandya’s effort was praiseworthy. It was, in fact, in a span of three overs that Pandya successfully applied the brakes on the English apple-cart.

He had leaked 22 runs in his first over and was under pressure when he came in to bowl in his second spell as England were already scoring at 10 runs per over and the visitors were staring at a huge total to chase.

Pandya, though, had other ideas. He conceded just two runs in his second over and struck twice in his third, forcing England skipper Eoin Morgan and then Alex Hales, who was man of the match in England’s series-levelling win in Cardiff, into playing false shots.

He would return to send two more dangerous batsmen back to the pavillion in Stokes and Jonny Bairstow.

Pandya effectively blunted England’s big-hitters to prevent a late flourish that would have seen them pile on a mammoth total.

A target of 199 was still quite intimidating, but an astute century by Rohit Sharma ensured India chased down the total with minimal fuss.

But, there was no doubt, it was Pandya’s second burst that made Rohit’s task easy. Promoted up the order ahead of Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni, he produced a cameo of 33 and even hit a six down the ground to take India home.

X-factor

“Hardik is a really good all-round cricketer, very confident, and the way he picked up those wickets is what you want to see in younger guys. Then he delivers with the bat, Rohit was obviously very special but Hardik was standout,” said skipper Virat Kohli after the game.

Stokes, by contrast, came up a whimper. He was dismissed for 14 and bowled just two overs and remained wicket-less.

If it was a battle of all-rounders, Stokes would have been knocked out early into the bout.

May be Pandya was driven to put in the extra effort because of Stokes’ presence in the opposition, or may be not. But, he once again delivered when his team had its back to the wall. He has done it a few times over, across formats. Be it with a gritty knock, with a sharp run-out or, in this case, with a stellar spell, Pandya invariably produces the goods when needed the most.

“He is the one who has put in the performances and he is the one who has that X-factor,” India great Rahul Dravid had heaped praise on the all-rounder while speaking to reporters late last year.

Almost seven months later, Pandya is still delivering on that promise. Some might feel he is arrogant, some might feel he is abrasive. It is true that he isn’t consistent on the field. But on Sunday he proved once again that he does possess the proverbial X-factor.