In the last few months, few Indian cricketers have been as universally hailed as Hardik Pandya. Captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri have both praised the “star” who can “hit it out of any park” and he has made his mark on all three formats of the game.

The all-rounder was also the player of the One Day International series against Australia, adding to his two man of the match trophies from the five-match series already. In fact, he has made significant contributions in almost all the matches, with both bat and ball. Here’s a look at how the 23-year-old stamped his class in the series.

83 and 2/28, Chennai

Hardik Pandya started the five-match ODI series with a bang, smashing a 66-ball 83 and taking two wickets. It was this game-changing performance that powered India to a 26-run win over Australia in the rain-hit first match at Chennai.

In an exhibition of smart batting, he adapted his game in accordance with the match situation. His gritty 118-run sixth-wicket stand with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who made 79, lifted India to 281-7 after a collapse early on. After getting his eye in, he then took the attack to the Aussie bowlers.

Pandya took a special liking to Adam Zampa’s leg-spin as he smashed the bowler for a four and three successive sixes in an over to bring up his third ODI fifty.

Captain Virat Kohli reserved special praise for Pandya after the man of the match performance. “He (Hardik) believes in himself. That is the key in international cricket. Hardik’s innings was the game-changer. He is smart with the ball as well. He possesses all three skills (batting, bowling and fielding) equally and we are lucky to have him,” Kohli said after the match.

20 and 2/56, Kolkata

Pandya made small but crucial contributions in the second ODI in Kolkata as well, which India won by 50 runs.

While left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s hat-trick was the spanner in the Australia’s chase, it was Pandya who took the important wicket of captain Steve Smith, and later got Nathan Coulter-Nile as well. Smith had registered a gritty 50 in his 100th ODI but Pandya also scored 20 to add valuable runs to the total of 252 with a 35-run seventh-wicket partnership with Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

The all-rounder was also involved in a bit of drama in the 48th over of the Indian innings when he was caught off a no-ball, but Smith ran him out only to see the batsman walking off the ground following a slight drizzle. Smith and company tried to argue with the on-field umpires for their run out call but in vain.

1/58 and 78, Indore

Pandya was again at the forefront of the five-wicket, series-clinching win at Indore in the third ODI. The 23-year-old scored a impressive 72-ball 78 and forged a crucial fifth-wicket stand with Manish Pandey to help India chase down a target of 294 with relative ease and 13 balls to spare.

Pandya showed solid maturity with the bat after being promoted to number four in the batting order – a position that has seen many candidates and much debate. The all-rounder also got the first breakthrough with the all-important wicket of opener David Warner, who was bowled for 42.

Kohli was once again all praise for the all-rounder’s game-changing ability. “Hardik Pandya, only he can do what he does when he bats like that. He is a star,” a delighted Kohli said after the win.

“He possess ability with the bat, ball and in the field as well. We have been wanting a guy like that for the past five, six years. A really explosive all-rounder is what we were missing and he’s giving us that balance. A great asset for Indian cricket and I wish him all the best for the future,” he added.

0/32 and 41, Bengaluru

In the lone loss for India in the series, Pandya went wicketless as Warner’s blazing 124 and his 231-run opening stand with Aaron Finch, helped Australia pile up 334 runs. In the daunting chase, he was sent at No 4 once again and scored a determined 41 off 40 to keep the chase afloat. His 78-run partnership with Jadhav was giving India hope before the mounting run-rate forced him to go for the risky shots. In the 38th over, he miscued Zampa for a slog which went straight to the fielder. His wicket saw the team went down by 21 runs in the fourth ODI and Bengaluru.

1/14, Nagpur

Thanks to Rohit ‘Hitman’ Sharma, Pandya didn’t even get a chance to bat in the fifth and final ODI at Nagpur as India chased down 243 with ease. Even with the ball, the all-rounder got to bowl only two over but was incisive with it, getting a wicket. But he was the first to strike and check Australia’s brisk start, sending Aaron Finch trudging back to the pavilion for 32.

With inputs from AFP