Hardik Pandya thinks this SRH player should have been the Man of the Match

India clinched a thriller at Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday – chasing down a target of 195 runs set by Australia. Hardik Pandya was adjudged the Man of the Match award for his finishing role of 42 not out in 22 balls. But, this dashing all rounder believes a different player should have been the Man of the Match.

Earlier Australia put a massive 194 on the board – thanks to captain Matthew Wade who opened the innings and scored 58 runs at a strike rate of 181.25. All Indian bowlers got spanked around except for T Natarajan who made his T20I debut just 2 days earlier. Natarajan bowled 4 overs conceding just 20 runs and took the all important wickets of D’Arcy Short and Moises Henriques. If not for this left arm pacer India would have been chasing over 200 runs.

Player of the Match Hardik Pandya said he thought T Natarajan should have been the Man of the Match as he was the difference in India chasing down a lesser total than they should have – on a wicket where almost all bowlers struggled. Natarajan impressed one and all in both his stints for Team India. At Canberra this 29 year old pacer picked 3 wickets on debut which helped India derail Australia in their chase.

T Natarajan now has 5 wickets in 2 matches at an average of 10.00 and an economy of just 6.25 runs per over.

India went 2-0 up in the T20 series with one more match to go after a thrilling 6 wicket win at Sydney. The visitors take on Australia in the final T20I on Tuesday at the same venue. Team India now has 10 away wins in a row in completed T20Is.

A special mention to Natarajan as well. I thought he should be the Man of the Match, because the bowlers struggled here and he had a really good game.
_{– Hardik Panyda, Man of the Match, 2nd T20I}