Hardik Pandya, the Team India all-rounder believes he will have a hard day at the office if he comes up against the Indian middle-order batters.
The Men in Blue have a sturdy unit with the likes of Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja, and even Hardik Pandya himself to follow the top order.
While the batting credentials of the Baroda cricketer were never in doubt, he has emerged as a much more dependable bowler since returning to full fitness. He has bowled his quota of four overs in T20Is on most occasions in the recent past and has performed admirably. Touching 140 kmph on a consistent basis, he has hit the length hard and has benefitted from his variations as well.
Hardik Pandya Admitted He Will Have To Depend On Luck And Skill To Skill If He Bowls To India’s Middle Order Batters
Hardik Pandya spoke to journalist Vimal Kumar after the Men in Blue’s win in the third T20I at St. Kitts on Tuesday (August 2).
Admitting that he would have to rely on luck if he were to bowl to the Indian middle-order batters, the all-rounder said: “Have to try out something to keep them quiet. I won’t be able to do much if those guys are in good touch. I will have to depend on luck and skill-to-skill.”
The Indian middle order batter has responded well in crisis situations, particularly when the top order has failed to get going. The Baroda all-rounder too has performed well in his new role with the finishing duties handed over to Dinesh Karthik since the home series against South Africa in June 2022.
Hardik Pandya was recently named the Player of the Series against England as India won the ODI series 2-1 on Sunday. The all-rounder was at his best with both the ball and the bat, as he made 100 runs and picked 6 wickets in the series. His best of 71 and 4/24 came in the third and final ODI itself.
Hardik Pandya Doesn’t Consider Himself To Be A One-Dimensional Player
In the second T20I against the West Indies, the Gujarat Titans skipper played a patient knock after the top-order players perished trying to up the scoring. Hardik Pandya scored a run-a-ball 31, which helped India get to 138 on a bouncy surface.
Hardik Pandya achieved the rare double of 500 runs and 50 wickets in the third T20I against West Indies in St Kitts. Hardik Pandya dismissed Brandon King after a fifty-run opening stand between him and Kyle Mayers to become the sixth India men’s player to 50 T20I wickets.
Ravindra Jadeja, who completed the feat in the previous T20I, was the last to get to the landmark. However, by completing 50 T20I wickets, Hardik Pandya also completed a double of 500 runs and 50 wickets in T20Is, becoming the 11th men’s player and 30th overall to do the feat.
Explaining how he approaches batting in his new position in the playing XI, he said: “I am not a one-dimensional player, I always assess and read the situation. If it demands a six, I’ll try to score one and if it demands a more conservative approach, I will protect my wicket. God has given me the ability and I have done the hard work to strengthen that ability.”
India is scheduled to face the West Indies in the fourth T20I of the series on August 6 (Saturday). The Rohit Sharma-led side currently has a 2-1 lead in the series.