Hardik Pandya turns 30: Reliving his 5 best spells for India

Hardik Pandya, one of the finest all-rounders to have played for India in recent years, turns 30 on Thursday. Seen as a big-hitting lower-order batsman, Pandya is also a useful seam bowler who can pick up the odd wicket with his variations.

Pandya's seam positioning is what is most talked about in his bowling and the way he chooses to hit the deck hard if the surface obliges him. Having come back from a career-threatening injury, it is heartening to see him bowl again.

The Baroda all-rounder, who can also be trusted to bowl in the death overs, has a lot of variety up his sleeves. Be it his slower deliveries or off-cutters or slower bouncers, Pandya is the ideal package for limited-overs cricket. However, it does not mean that he cannot do well with the red ball.

Pandya, who burst onto the scene some years ago, has become an experienced player by now. He has also been trusted by his IPL franchise Gujarat Titans to lead them in the cash-rich league. He is often seen bowling with the new ball or as a one-change bowler for them too.

In this listicle, we recount five of the most memorable spells Pandya has bowled for India:

#1 5-28 vs England, 4th Test, 2018

The only five-wicket haul that Pandya has picked up for India was in the Nottingham Test of the 2018 series. Having bowled just six overs, Pandya managed to pick up five wickets by conceding 28 runs.

Although he picked up most of his wickets from the English lower order, the likes of Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root were also amongst his victims.

This was the bowling spell with which Pandya announced his arrival on the international stage, so to speak, and one that made everyone around the world sit up and take notice.

#2 4-16 vs New Zealand, T20I, 2023

Pandya in action against New Zealand.

Playing at the refurbished Motera - also his adopted home ground for the Gujarat Titans in the IP L- Pandya bowled a spell filled with misery against New Zealand in January earlier this year.

It is rare to see a bowler pick up four wickets in a T20 game, but Pandya managed to do that by conceding just 26 runs at an economy of just over four.

While, in all fairness, a second-string Kiwi side was playing, there was nothing to justify them being all out for 66, trying to chase 234 runs down. Pandya was at his imperious best on that day.

#3 4-24 vs England, ODI, 2022

Hardik Pandya in action against England.

Bowling with an economy rate of 3.42 is not heard of often in One-Day International cricket. But that is exactly what Pandya managed to do at Trent Bridge in Nottingham in July last year.

Pandya clearly has a connection with Trent Bridge as it was the same venue where he had picked up his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket in 2019.

While many Indian cricket aficionados remember this game for Rishabh Pant's antics with the bat which helped India get over the line, not many recollect Pandya having set the match up earlier.

#4 4-33 vs England, T20I, 2022

Quite clearly, we are seeing a pattern here. England do appear to be Pandya's favourite opponent.

This time, we are talking about the 4-33 he picked up against them at the Rose Bowl in Southampton in July last year.

Although his economy rate was a tad on the higher side, he did manage to take the big wickets of Jason Roy, David Malan, Liam Livingstone, and Sam Curran in this game.

Set to chase a steep 198, the home team folded for just 148 in 19.3 overs, mainly thanks to Pandya's exploits with the ball in hand.

#5 4-38 vs England, T20I, 2018

Yet again, we see another Pandya special on this list that has come against England.

This time, we are talking about a T20I at the County Ground in Bristol in 2018, the same year in which he picked his first five-wicket haul in his career.

India managed to pull off a splendid win here after being set to chase 199 in 20 overs. Rohit Sharma struck an even hundred to seal the deal for India in the nineteenth over itself.

Pandya was there to finish the game off with Sharma towards the end, capping off a brilliant day after having picked up 4-38 with the ball in hand earlier.