Hardik Pandya etched his name into the record books by claiming a wicket with his very first delivery in the Asia Cup Group A clash against Pakistan on Sunday. He became only the second Indian bowler to achieve the feat in T20Is. The landmark moment came in the opening over of the match. After starting with a wide down the leg side, Pandya adjusted his line and struck immediately with the next ball. Saim Ayub, looking to punch the outswinger through the off side, could only find Jasprit Bumrah at point. The opener departed without scoring a single run. With this, Pandya joined Arshdeep Singh in a rare club. Arshdeep was the first Indian to claim a wicket off his first legitimate ball in a T20I, dismissing USA’s Shayan Jahangir in New York during the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, the left-arm pacer has yet to feature in this Asia Cup, having also been left out of India’s opening game against the UAE. While Pandya’s first-ball wicket set the tone, two more Indian bowlers made dents in Pakistan’s batting line-up instantly. Both Axar Patel and Bumrah struck in their opening overs, tightening the grip on the game over Pakistan early in the innings.Watch his first-ball wicket here Pandya’s dismissal of Ayub also carried added weight given the context of the match. To start off against Pakistan with a wicket added to the significance.
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How crucial was Pandya’s first-ball wicket in setting the tone for the match against Pakistan?
As Mohammad Haris walked in to join Sahibzada Farhan at the crease, India had already secured the edge, all thanks to Pandya’s historic first-ball breakthrough.
