Watch: Hardik Pandya, the Fast Bowler, Pulls India out of Distress
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IND vs AUS: Hardik Pandya brought India back with 3 quick wickets (AP Photo)
When on song, Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya can put no foot wrong. On Wednesday, it was that sort of that for Men in Blue's vice-captain, who turned the tables with the ball after the likes of Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj were taken for cleaners by the Australians.
At Chennai's M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, the Australian openers continued from where they left at Visakhapatnam. Despite the conditions being adequate for the new-ball bowlers, Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head were scoring boundaries for fun, taking the total to 60 after nine overs of play.
However, an Axar Patel over put the breaks before Pandya started his show in front of a cheering Chennai crowd.
The Gujarat Titans' skipper first got rid of Head with a hard length delivery, on which the southpaw miscued a slash into the hands of a sliding Kuldeep Yadav at the deep backward point. He could have bagged him a couple of deliveries early, if Shubman Gill won't spilt a soda at the deep backward square leg.
Pandya continued his show at the Chepauk, making Steve Smith nick behind on a duck. It was another brilliant delivery bowled by the pacer as it swung away late to outfox the Australian skipper.
Furthermore, he scalped a dangerous-looking Marsh, 3 runs shy of his third successive half-century of the series, making his chop onto the woods. The opener went to pull a good length delivery, but he misjudged the bounce on that one.
Pandya made another chance for a wicket, but Siraj over-ran at long-on and let a down chance. However, the all-rounder has only bowled four overs thus far, and he has the golden opportunity to bag his maiden ODI five-wicket haul today.
At the time of writing, David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne are rebuilding for Australia, as the score reads 113-3 after 22 overs at Chennai.
 "Arjun Bhalla")
