The shocking Indian collapse at Canberra will not be forgotten for a long time. Needing 72 from 75 balls, with two batsmen batting on scores well past 100, India were bowled out 25 runs short of the target. A little sanity could have seen them through and perhaps India missed Manish Pandey in the line-up that day. The Karnataka batsman saw India through at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) with a composed yet busy 104 not out, while chasing a massive 331. While ‘ifs’ have no place in our game filled with uncertainties, the maturity Pandey showed in constructing his knock with calculated risks leads to the belief. Full Cricket Scorecard: India vs Australia 2015-16, 5th ODI at Sydney
How many times has a side lost after putting up three 300-plus scores in the first four games of a One-Day International (ODI) series? India did in the recently concluded ODI series in Australia and the only time India did not get to the 300-mark was in Melbourne where in a comparatively difficult track India put up 295. Coming into the fifth game at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), they could have very well been 2-2, but they the score-line read 4-0 in Australia’s favour. READ: India vs Australia 2015-16, 5th ODI at Sydney: Highlights
While the Indian bowling is definitely to be blamed, the point to be noted is also how India’s lower-order have fared in the death-overs. Despite the belligerent starts, India ended with scores that seemed 15 to 20 runs short. For years, India have relied on likes of Suresh Raina and captain MS Dhoni to successfully finish off innings. With the former suffering from prolonged bad patch that has led to his ouster from the ODI side and the latter clearly having lost his sheen, finishing is an area where India have struggled. The experiment with Rayudu has worked sporadically but selectors have lost confidence on the batsman who is now over 30.
Though Pandey is more of a middle-order batsman, he seems to be India’s answer to the No.5 spot — a position where he can consolidate, if needed or end it like he did at SCG. Pandey’s First-Class numbers (average of 50.37) are far more impressive than his limited-overs (List A average: 35.83, and T20I average: 25.51) records but it was his IPL hundred in South Africa as a 19-year-old in 2009, that made him a household name. He became the first Indian batsman to score a hundred in IPL. Though his under-19 World Cup winning teammates Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja were destined to stardom much early, Pandey made a gradual rise through domestic ranks and finally seems to be getting his deserving due.
Pandey had once said there was a lot of expectations on him after the IPL hundred and he could not cope with it. Also the injuries did not help him. After sitting out in the first two matches in Zimbabwe in June 2015, Pandey, the forecasted blue-eyed boy of Indian cricket in 2009, finally got a chance to make his international debut. The debut came in backdrop of his consistent performances for Karnataka, which saw the side notching up one trophy after another in the Indian domestic competitions.
Big match performer
Coming in to bat in the 19th over with India struggling at 68 for 3, Pandey struck a composed 71 from 86-balls on debut against Zimbabwe, which saw India post 276 on the board and eventually win by 83 runs. India tested their fringe strength in the tournament and unlucky that he was soon dropped from the side despite his good show.
Pandey comes across as someone who rises to occasions in big matches. Surprisingly, thriving under adversity comes very naturally to him. In the 2009-10 season, Pandey amassed 956 runs in First-Class cricket at 59 but the highlight had to be the 144 in the Ranji Trophy final in Mysore. Mumbai had set Karnataka, a target of 338, Pandey’s 144 almost saw Karnataka through and they eventually fell short by seven runs.
It was Ajit Agarkar’s fifer that did the job for Mumbai but even he could not stop praising the 20-year-old and compared his potential to Rohit Sharma’s. That match is also remembered for Pandey’s full stretch one-handed catch to dismiss Abhishek Nayar. Not going overboard with adjectives but that catch indeed is one of the best ever scalped in cricket’s history.
Pandey kept on performing in First-Class cricket but thanks to a star-studded Indian side, breaking through was not easy. His consistent run in domestic cricket saw him earn an IPL contract with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2014 edition. Pandey’s 94 from 50-balls in the tournament final that year saw KKR chase down Kings XI Punjab’s 200, as they lifted the trophy for second time.
When the nation was engrossed following India’s progress in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Down Under, back home the fringe players were battling out in the Irani Trophy. Rest of India had taken a 20-run lead in the first innings against Karnataka. It was a Pandey special in the second innings that helped Karnataka triumph. He scored an unbeaten 123 as Karnakata managed a 402-run lead and eventually won by 246 runs. The list goes on.
ICC World T20 2016 hopeful?
Before the start of the Australia series, Dhoni had made it clear that there would be a competition for places, especially between Pandey and Gurkeerat Singh. The perception was clear that Gurkeerat is a finisher while Pandey is more of a steady middle-order batsman. Though it is too early to write young Gurkeerat off, Pandey definitely showed he is better prepared for the big stage. Not only he has he batted better but also his fielding has been top class.
Raina and Yuvraj Singh will be back for India in the T20Is. Though Pandey may not have made it to India’s T20I squad for the series against Australia but with his Sydney special, he has ensured that the selectors will be forced to re-think about their plans when they gather around the table to finalise the side for World T20 mega event that will be played in India in March.
(Suvajit Mustafi consumes cricket for lunch, fiction for dinner and munches numerous other snacks throughout the day. Yes, a jack of several trades, all Suvajit dreamt of was being India’s World Cup winning skipper but ended up being a sports writer, author, screenwriter, director, copywriter, graphic designer, sports marketer, strategist, entrepreneur, philosopher and traveller. Donning so many hats, it’s cricket which gives him the ultimate high and where he finds solace. He can be followed at @RibsGully and rivu7)
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