Fri. Mar 29th, 2024
Hardik Pandya

In the last few matches, Hardik Pandya seems to be emerging as a good all-rounder as well as a good finisher. His hitting abilities are something that is hard to find in an all-rounder. And this has awarded him a permanent place in a team in such a short time. He has played an important role in critical matches and is set to take the name of the best finisher in the team after Dhoni. “(I’m) pretty happy with the way things are going for me. I’ve been working hard on both the bowling and the batting. I’m trying to keep it simple and things are turning (out) pretty well,” Pandya said on Tuesday during the media interaction.

“I feel that you should be brave enough to do things. I back my game, I back myself, I see the situation and I like to play accordingly. I don’t count myself as a one-dimensional player. I feel that I should see the scoreboard and play accordingly. That’s how I’m going to learn cricket and that’s how I’m going to make sure that I finish the games,” he further said.

Pandya also said that he has always batted as a hitter but can play according to the situation as he did in the last match. He said “I’ve been known for my sixes but I’ve played those (hard-working) innings as well. Throughout my life, I’ve batted at a number where I can just go out and hit from the first ball. In the last game, the situation required me to play for singles, which I was doing. Unfortunately, I got out but my plan was always that I should finish the game, take the game deep.”

The 23-year-old revealed the talk he was having with Dhoni in the fourth ODI against West Indies saying, “The conversation (with Dhoni) was simple. The power which we both have, we can chase any total – it’s just that we got to stay there. You can’t win a game sitting outside, it’s very important that you take the game deep and make sure that you read the situation. We were doing pretty fine but as I said, it was unfortunate that I shuffled a lot and I got out. Things were going pretty right. When I got out it was 29-ball 31 runs, which on any given day we’ll take it. It was just one of those games where it didn’t click and it didn’t turn out to be our game. I felt that things were pretty alright. We’re just going to be fearless and express ourselves (in the fifth ODI). Eventually, when you express yourself you play your best cricket.”

Also, in the final match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, Pandya revived the hopes of the Indian fans by scoring 76 runs before getting run-out. India lost that match against Pakistan.

By Naman