Hardik Pandya pole-axed by straight drive before taking 2-56 against Australia
Thursday 21 September 2017 21:08, UK
Hardik Pandya was lucky to escape serious injury after he was pole-axed by a straight drive by India team-mate Bhuvneshwar Kumar, in the second ODI against Australia.
Click on the video above to see Pandya, on 19 off 22 balls at the time, knocked to the ground by a severe blow on the side of the helmet - before picking himself off the turf to claim 2-56 in 10 overs in India's 50-run victory.
The incident happened in the 47th over when Australian seamer Nathan Coulter-Nile went wide on the crease to deliver a full delivery that Kumar, having opened up his body, mowed down the ground.
Pandya raised his right hand in an effort to stop the ball but only got the briefest of touches before it cannoned into the side of his grill as he turned away.
As dramatic as the incident looked, the batsman still had sufficient sense to roll and stretch to ensure his bat was back behind the crease so he couldn't be run out.
That was the last thing on Australia's mind, though, as skipper Steve Smith moved quickly in to check Pandya was ok while Coulter-Nile called for assistance from the dressing room as Pandya lay prone at the non-striker's end.
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Pandya added only one more run before he was caught at long-off but had the final laugh, picking up the key wicket of Smith (59) before dismissing Coulter-Nile caught to leave Australia on the brink of defeat.
Watch the third ODI between India and Australia live on Sky Sports Cricket from 8.50am on Sunday.
