After recovering fully from the quadriceps injury sustained during the Asia Cup earlier this year, Hardik Pandya returned to India colours by training solo at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack ahead of the first match of the five-T20I series against South Africa. Having recently played for Baroda in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Pandya familiarised himself with the conditions in Cuttack, fine-tuning both his batting and bowling during the session before the series opener.
With the Indian team arriving in batches in Cuttack, Pandya reached the city on Saturday evening and decided to have a hit on Sunday. Mindful of his injury history, he took his time with a thorough warm-up that included stretching exercises and running drills. As he went through his routine, Team India support staff members Nuwan and Dayanand Garani joined him to assist. Pandya had also requested a few net bowlers, both spinners and pacers.
Although he appeared to feel slight discomfort in his right hip area while bowling, Pandya still bowled at full intensity for a good 20 minutes before taking a break. He then spent around 20 minutes with a local masseur at the venue to release tension in his lower back and hip muscles before padding up for batting practice.
Pandya looked in cracking form with the bat, a continuation of the blistering touch he showed in his comeback knock of 77 not out against Punjab that helped Baroda win a high-scoring Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy encounter. With the Men in Blue now in the final stages of their preparations for the T20 World Cup, the star all-rounder is leaving no stone unturned.
Despite the evening T20I matches expected to favour batters due to dew, Pandya took on the spinners with authority and launched several massive sixes. Most shots came right off the middle of his new bat and sailed deep into the stands. It was a display of sheer power-hitting from the ace all-rounder, whom India sorely missed during the white-ball tour of Australia and the recently concluded ODI series against South Africa. He barely played a defensive stroke throughout the session.
With the countdown to the T20 World Cup now officially on, the entire country will hope Pandya stays fully fit and fires on all cylinders with both bat and ball.
India will hold their final training session here on Monday afternoon, while South Africa are scheduled to practise in the evening.
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