India needed 14 runs from the last over and Pandya delivered with sixes off the second and fourth deliveries
Assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak believes the present Gujarat Lions line-up is much more balanced as compared to last year as the Suresh Raina-led team looks for a good showing in the tenth edition of the Indian Premier League starting next week.
The 13-run win saw India grab their first points in the ICC Men's World Cup Super League table.
Sri Lanka will have to produce something special to halt England's juggernaut at Sharjah.
Though Smith is absolutely free to make a return to the national team for next year's World Cup and Ashes series in England, he can only fill back the leadership role in March 2020.
Kolkata Knight Riders are expected to continue with their risk-taking approach despite mixed returns when they on Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League, at the Wankhede stadium, in Mumbai on Friday.
India captain Virat Kohli, on Sunday, criticised the Decision Review System, saying 'it is not consistent at all and becoming a talking point in every game'.
India would look to finalise their batting order for the tournament-proper when they take on Australia in their second and final warm-up game in Dubai on Wednesday.
Upbeat after convincingly winning the One-Day International series 4-0, Australia's Twenty20 captain Aaron Finch is confident that the hosts can handle the more experienced Indian reinforcements in Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina who have joined the visitors for the three-match rubber starting in Adelaide, on Tuesday.
AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis struck sublime centuries as South Africa chased down a massive score to beat Australia by seven wickets in the second One-Day International of the triangular series on Wednesday.
Former Australian coach John Buchanan has backed Michael Clarke's side to beat India.
Hardik Pandya's leadership skills and India's overall World Cup preparedness will be under focus
India, Australia, England and New Zealand have ridden the wave and reached the final four on the strength of clear plans and outstanding individuals.
India's top order fired in unison and their bowlers produced a tidy display to beat reigning world champions Australia by 36 runs in a thrilling World Cup match.
Powered by in-form, inspirational leader in Virat Kohli, Royal Challengers Bangalore would look to inch closer to a maiden Indian Premier League title triumph when they take on table-toppers Gujarat Lions in the Qualifier I, in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
Factbox on the third World Cup quarter-final between Australia and Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval on Friday.
Australia still searching for their best formula in ODIs, says Finch
Why New Zealand pulled out of tour match in Sydney on Day 2
England opener Alex Hales belted a blistering 94 in 61 deliveries to set up a 27-run victory over Australia in County Durham on Saturday and a 1-1 draw in the two-match series of Twenty20 internationals.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam has surpassed India's Virat Kohli in becoming the world No.1 T20I batter for the longest period of time after he maintained his top spot in the latest ICC T20 batting rankings.
The ICC's rating is presumably due to the uneven bounce that became more prevalent later in the recently-concluded second Test between Australia and India.
67 players, including 23 overseas, were sold and Rs 86.8 crore spent on them by the eight franchises in Bangalore on Monday.
India captain Virat Kohli said his team will look to address its recent batting collapse and come back stronger in the last two games of the five-match ODI series.
Australia have left masterblaster batsman Glenn Maxwell out of their squad for the five-match one-day international series against England that follows this week's fifth Ashes Test.
South African great AB de Villiers revealed that he sees a lot of himself in young Australian batsman Josh Philippe.
Stoinis put in an all-round performance as his contributions with the bat hurt India in the middle overs.
India captain Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma maintained their supremacy at the top of the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen, occupying the first and second spots respectively in the latest list released on Wednesday.
Overall, Kohli was pleased with the way his side fought and found ways to win matches from tough situations.
Australia will want to steer clear of another defeat at the hands of India when the teams lock horns in the 4th ODI in Bengaluru, so it will only be prudent if they bring in Faulkner for the faltering Richardson and give Agar the boot, says Norma Godinho.
India were in with a very good chance of levelling the series in Melbourne on Friday after reducing Australia to 132 for 7 in 19 overs but rain put paid to their hopes.
Veteran opener David Warner produced a feisty unbeaten 89 as Australia registered an emphatic eight-wicket win against West Indies to boost their semi-final hopes, at the T20 World Cup, in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
England quick Jofra Archer will keep up his aggressive approach in Sunday's World Cup final against New Zealand after his bouncer left Australia's Alex Carey with a bloodied chin in Thursday's semi-final at Edgbaston.
Indians dominated the limited-over teams by having three and four players in the ODI and T20I respectively
Will get money's worth if Gayle, Yuvi can win even two games, says Sehwag
'It felt good (to get to 40 ODI hundreds) but it is just a number'
Australia captain Steve Smith feels he has matured quite a lot as he gears up play his landmark 100th One-Day International, against India, in Kolkata, on Thursday.
Australian cricket officials were put on alert after the number of cases in the northern beaches outbreak in Sydney reached 28 on Friday.
New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor's considerable knowledge of the Trent Bridge ground tells him that its shorter boundaries may play on the minds of India's wrist spin duo during Thursday's World Cup encounter.
Australia's cricket team suffered a scare following their Twenty20 International victory over India in Guwahati on Tuesday after a rock was thrown at their team bus, shattering one of the windows, its governing body Cricket Australia (CA) said.
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa bowled a sensational spell with the ball to help Australia register a narrow four-run victory against India in the rain-hit first T20 International in Brisbane on Wednesday.
