Hardik Pandya Surprised By A Test Call!
Nov 3, 2016 at 1:13 PM
Just like the millions of cricket fans out there, Hardik Pandya is also surprised with his inclusion in the 15-man Test squad for the first two matches of the five-match Test series against England. The 23-year old all-rounder was dropped from the T20 team after the World T20 earlier this year and received a surprise call for the ODI series against New Zealand despite not doing too well on the Australia tour with India A. Well, the Baroda all-rounder justified the faith of selectors by bagging the Man of the Match award on his ODI debut and would look to give a similar performance if he gets selected in the playing eleven of the Test series.
Well, for the time being, the youngster is surprised with the selectors’ decision but at the same wants to embrace the special moment. Speaking to The Times of India, he said: “It came as a big surprise. There is no cricketer, at any level, who doesn’t dream of representing India in the whites. I’m no different. I have immense respect for all the formats that I’ve played in, but this is so special. Wasn’t really expecting this.”
After announcing the squad, MSK Prasad, chairman of the selection committee said that the ‘hyper’ all-rounder has mellowed down and deserves a spot in the longest format of the game. Known for his flamboyant attitude, Pandya is well aware of the boundaries that he should not cross while being aggressive.
He said:“It’s such an exciting feeling.I respect the spirit of the game and believe that it should be played in the right manner. Having said that, aggression is also something that comes naturally to me.”
Speaking about the importance of aggression for his game, he said:“It helps me do things better.”
With only 16 first-class games and 727 runs at an average of 27.96 and 22 wickets to his name, there are huge doubts over whether he will be able to perform in the most challenging format of the game or not. However, the youngster is confident of proving his doubters wrong.
“I’ve taken everything so far in my life as a learning phase. Can it get better than this? My ability lies in how I can fit into any role that I’m asked to take up. In a team game, that is something I’ve always strived to achieve. This is another challenge I’m looking forward to,” he said.