I don't think I'll bowl today: Hardik Pandya comments between innings during the 3rd ODI

Hardik Pandya played a dazzling innings in the third ODI between India and Australia. In his 76-knock, he scored 92 runs at a strike rate of 121, in an innings which included 7 fours and a six.

Hardik Pandya's partnership with Ravindra Jadeja yielded 150 runs as the duo lifted India from a precarious position at 152-5 to post a challenging total of 302 runs. India lost Shikhar Dhawan early but Virat Kohli and Shubhman Gill built the innings smoothly.

However, India's woes from the first two games came back to haunt them when Gill and Shreyas Iyer went back to the stands quickly and Kohli nicked one to Josh Hazelwood.

KL Rahul didn't add much to the scoreboard as he was dismissed for 5 runs. India did not look like they were capable of posting a 300+ total at this point in the game.

Hardik Pandya and Jadeja (66 off 50) combined for some innings-building first and then began laying waste to the bowlers. Together, the duo accumulated as many as 93 runs in the last seven overs to complete a brilliant partnership for the 6th wicket for India.

Hardik Pandya had the following to say during the innings break:

"We had to fight it out in the middle, it wasn't easy to start. When we had those couple of good overs and got some momentum, we started believing. We were probably thinking 250-270, but that's the beauty of the game."

"When you try to score 70, you end up getting 90. You have got to keep guessing in these conditions, with the bigger boundaries. I knew there were going to be plenty of short balls," Pandya added.

Hardik Pandya says he won't bowl again in the 3rd ODI

Jadeja's smashed his last seven balls for 30 runs - and brings up his 50 too #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/13acZhFqnH

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 2, 2020

Hardik Pandya's placed in the Indian team has been under scrutiny as he has failed to play the all-rounder's role consistently. However, he has played the batsman's role to perfection, scoring over 200 runs in the three ODIs.

Pandya also came back from a bowling sabbatical in the 2nd ODI, bowling 4 overs late in the innings. He ended up taking the wicket of centurion Steve Smith in the process. However, this was probably because Navdeep Saini wasn't 100% fit and was being smashed by the Australian batsmen.

Pandya has now clarified that he won't be bowling in the final ODI as his back strain got a 'bit sorer' in the previous game.

"It was for the team (about bowling in the last game). It was not planned and it was a bit sore, to be honest. I don't think I'll bowl today (chuckles)," commented Pandya.

India is currently playing the Australians in the third ODI after conceding an unassailable 2-0 lead in the first two matches of the series.