Watch: Hardik Pandya goes from ping pong' to boom boom' against Australia

Chennai: Hardik Pandya played a stellar knock of 83 runs from 66 balls to help India post a challenging total of 281-7 from 50 overs in the first ODI against Australia at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.

The all-rounder put up a 118-run stand with former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to bail India out after they were staring down an impasse at 87-5 from 21.3 overs.

However, Pandya and Dhoni batted India out of the sticky situations, using an aggressive, yet patient approach, respectively.

The Australian bowlers took quite a battering at the hands of Pandya. He displayed a lot of presence of mind, to negotiate a vicious short ball by Australia paceman Marcus Stoinis, for a four over the wicketkeeper’s head.

That was not the only memorable bit of play by the Team India all-rounder. At 153-5 in the 37th over, the Indians were looking for some quick acceleration in their run rate, in order to post a decent total on the board.

Pandya provided just the launch-pad for that, by smashing 22 runs from four deliveries – one boundary, and three sixes.