Indian captain Virat Kohli said head coach Ravi Shastri was the brain behind promoting all-rounder Hardik Pandya up the order, which eventually paid rich dividends for the home side in the series-clinching five-wicket win over Australia in the third ODI in Indore.
Hardik Pandya’s 78 Guides India to Series Win Against Australia
In Stats: India’s Series Win, Pandya vs Kapil & Rohit’s Fastest 50
Coming to bat at the no. 4 position, Pandya played a delightful 78-run knock off 72 balls to steer India home while chasing a competitive 294 for a win.
Kohli also heaped special praise on Pandya and termed the "explosive" all-rounder as a "great asset" for the team.
Pandya rose to the occasion yet again with a fluent knock as India registered a comfortable five-wicket win over Australia in the third ODI to grab the number one ranking.
Chasing 294 for a win, India overhauled the target with 13 balls to spare in front of a packed Holkar stadium to take a series-clinching 3-0 lead.
Openers Rohit Sharma (71) and Ajikya Rahane (70) set the platform for the win with their 131-run partnership while Pandya steered the side to victory with his crucial knock, which came off 72 balls. Kohli also backed his new-found two wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and and Yuzvendra Chahal.
The India skipper said he backed his bowling unit to make a strong comeback, especially after Australia were off to a flying start.
Losing skipper Steve Smith said the visitors were themselves to blame for losing the tempo after putting themselves in a strong position.
Man-of-the-match Pandya said he saw the promotion as a good opportunity to unleash his potential.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)