India vs Australia 2017, 1st ODI: 5 things we learnt from the match

#2 Pandya hurls his secret weapon, the knuckle-ball

Pandya put Australia in a spot of bother with a couple of quick wickets

Hardik Pandya is not one to be sidelined from the proceedings on the field. If not with the bat, he turns up with the ball or on the field to make his presence felt. Today, Pandya was just in the mood to underline his role as the premier all-rounder in the Indian team. Following up a swashbuckling 83, Pandya returned with the ball after the rains to reduce Australia to 29/3.

He nearly had the big fish, Steven Smith, lbw with a ball that nipped off the surface to rap the Aussie captain on the pads. Despite Kohli's review, umpire's call saved Smith but his joy did not last long.

Pandya can do wrong....not today. Two wickets in two overs. Knuckle ball-a new edition to his repertoire ???? #IndvAus

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) September 17, 2017

The very next ball, Pandya unleashed the knuckle-ball, a delivery made famous by Zaheer Khan during the 2011 World Cup. Smith top-edged an attempted swipe to Bumrah at short fine-leg to be caught out for 1. Travis Head followed as Pandya angled one across the southpaw to eke out an outside edge that Dhoni pouched safely. Once again it was the knuckle-ball that did the trick for Pandya.