Chasing 294, India was well on course to overhaul the target in the third One-Day International against Australia after Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane gave the team a flying start by adding 139 runs for the first wicket. However, the visitors threatened to derail India’s chase by dismissing both the openers in the space of nine runs.
And while everyone was expecting Manish Pandey to join Virat Kohli in the middle, the team management sprung a huge surprise by promoting Hardik Pandya at number four. The move prompted by India’s desire to finish the match quickly or counter the threat posed by left-arm spinner Ashton Agar.
Well, Pandya justified the position by not only taking Agar to the cleaners but also fired India to a series-clinching win with a stunning 78-runs knock. The all-rounder slammed four sixes off Agar, as India chased down the total with considerable ease at the end.
Speaking post the match, the 23-year-old confirmed the plan for him was to go all out against the spinners before stating that batting positions do not affect his game.
“The message was always simple,” Pandya said at the post-match press conference. “Play your game. However, you play. It depends, I can play all kinds of innings. Obviously, the plan was to target the spinners, and it came out pretty well.”
“It does not make any difference where I bat. Rather than seeing this as a challenge, I see this as an opportunity to do something nice for the team. When I was told I was going to go out to bat next, I was happy. This is the first time I played so many balls, so it was great,” he added.
Pandya has made a name for himself as a hard-hitting batsman in recent months, and he said the confidence had helped him to achieve it.
“I just back myself… and in cricket, the confidence always matters, and I’m confident that I can clear the ground,” he said.
“It’s not just about hitting. It’s pretty important that I read the game,” he added. “That time I thought that (Adam) Zampa was bowling and I knew that I could hit a six off him anytime I wanted to. That’s why I waited till the seventh over, and then I got the opportunity to change the momentum and eventually one over changed the momentum in that game (In Chennai ODI).”
While Pandya has become the toast of the nation with his recent exploits, there is no denying the pressure will be huge every time he steps on the cricket field from now on. However, the Baroda star is not focusing on the pressure, and all and is just concentrating on his game.
“I don’t think that much. I focus only on the things which I can focus and right now I’m just playing my cricket. I just back myself and if you back yourself, you always come out on top. I mean you can’t score every day but yeah, backing yourself is pretty important,” he concluded.