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Hardik Pandya said India can now field two more teams that can win any competition in the world. Hardik Pandya’s words came minutes after India handed debuts to five cricketers in the third and final ODI at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday.

India is simultaneously fielding two teams-one with Virat Kohli as captain in England for a five-match Test series against the hosts while Shikhar Dhawan is leading a limited-overs team comprising of youngsters in Sri Lanka.

Hardik Pandya Image Source : GETTY — Hardik Pandya Image Source: GETTY

Hardik Pandya Thinks India Can Pick Two More Teams And Win Any Competition In The World

After sealing the three-match series on Tuesday, five rookies – aggressive left-handed batsman Nitish Rana, leggie Rahul Chahar, left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya, off-spinner Kishnappa Gowtham, and wicket-keeper Sanju Samson, made their ODI debuts. Rahul Chahar and Sanju Samson have already played T20 Internationals for India but got their ODI caps on Friday.

“The kind of talent which the Indian team possesses right now, I think we can pick two more teams and win any competition in the world,” Hardik told the host broadcaster.

Krishnappa Gowtham, Nitish Rana, Rahul Chahar, Sanju Samson and Chetan Sakariya are making their ODI debuts for India (Courtesy of BCCI) — Krishnappa Gowtham, Nitish Rana, Rahul Chahar, Sanju Samson, and Chetan Sakariya are making their ODI debuts for India (Courtesy of BCCI)

The only time when India had five debutants in an ODI was against Australia in December 1980 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground when spinner Dilip Doshi, Kirti Azad, Roger Binny, Mumbai stylish batsman Sandeep Patil and Tirumalai Srinivasan made their debuts. A left-handed batsman and wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan and Mumbai’s Suryakumar Yadav had made their ODI debut in the first game at the same venue.

Hardik Pandya Learns From Mistakes And Grow As A Cricketer And Human Being

Hardik Pandya’s fitness and bowling form have been in focus in this limited-overs series. The India all-rounder has not been at his best in the ODI series. He bowled 9 overs in the first two ODIs and was dismissed for a duck and 19 in the second and third ODI. He picked 2 wickets in the series. Speaking about his performance, the talented all-rounder said, he always tries to learn from his mistakes and grow both as a cricketer and also as an individual.

Hardik Pandya talks about the talent at disposal of Indian cricket. (BCCI)

“I understand that in life you have to keep growing. As a cricketer and a person, you need to keep growing. My process is just growing as a human being. You tend to make mistakes, you fail, but I like to celebrate my failures. I like to celebrate my bad days, it is a part of the sport and it teaches you a lot of things. I like to remember it,” he added.

Rahul Chahar picked up three wickets in his final spell but Sri Lanka managed to secure a nervy three-wicket win over India in the 3rd ODI in Colombo on Friday.

Avishka Fernando scored his second consecutive half-century of the series, while Bhanuka Rajapaksa registered his maiden ODI fifty as Sri Lanka seized control of their chase of 227 runs. Their partnership accounted for 109 runs before pacer Chetan Sakariya broke the stand and picked up his maiden wicket.

Before that, Krishnappa Gowtham had dismissed Minod Bhanuka for his maiden ODI wicket. Debutant Chetan Sakariya picked up two wickets as he removed Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Dhananjaya de Silva.

Earlier, Sri Lanka bowled India out for 225 in the 3rd ODI as left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama and Akila Dananjaya picked up three wickets each. After a 90-minute delay due to rain and wet outfield, play restarted in Colombo and the match was revised to a 47-overs-a-side contest.