Hardik Pandya completes 1,000 ODI runs

India batsman Hardik Pandya smashed a 31-ball 50 while chasing a mammoth target of 375 against Australia in the first ODI in Sydney on Friday.

Pandya, who made his ODI debut against New Zealand in Dharamsala in 2016, completed 1,000 ODI runs. He took 55 matches to reach the landmark.

The 27-year-old has been a regular in the limited-overs side before injury issues ruled him out of important tournaments. He returned to international cricket after more than a year.

AUS vs IND Live Score

Pandya had a lower back surgery in October 2019. The Indian Premier League 2020 triumph with Mumbai Indians prepared him well for the tour Down Under. At present, he is playing purely as a batsman and has not resumed bowling.

Pandya took guard at a critical juncture of the game with India losing its top four inside the first 15 overs. He added 128 runs for the fifth wicket with Shikhar Dhawan (74, 86b, 10x4). He missed his century by a whisker, falling for 90 off 76 balls (7x4, 4x6).