Team India’s in-form all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been no less than sensational for team India. After a successful ODI, Hardik Pandya played a vital role in India winning the ongoing T20I series against Australia by an unbeatable 2-0.
Earlier in the three-match ODI series, Hardik Pandya played all the three-match as a specialist batsman and gave brilliant performances, scoring – 90 in 1st ODI, 28 in 2nd ODI, and 98 in 3rd ODI. In fact, in the third ODI, Hardik Pandya has adjudged the Man of the Match. In the ongoing T20I series as well, he was adjudged as the Man of the Match after he took the Indian cricket team to victory in the second match.
Going by the amazing form of Hardik, several cricketers and fans have come out with an opinion of him playing in the longest format of the game. Recently, former Indian cricketer, Mohammad Kaif suggested that it’s high time that Hardik should be added in the Test squad for the upcoming four-match Test series against Australia. He wrote:
“@hardikpandya7, with an average of nearly 90, has emerged as India’s go to batsman in white ball cricket, behind @imVkohli. Time is ripe for Hardik to be added to the Test squad, in this red hot form worth holding him back in Australia”
Here, check out the Tweet:
.@hardikpandya7, with an average of nearly 90, has emerged as India’s go to batsman in white ball cricket, behind @imVkohli. Time is ripe for Hardik to be added to the Test squad, in this red hot form worth holding him back in Australia
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) December 6, 2020
Now, Hardik Pandya has also talked about the same at the press conference held post the second T20I. He stated that it’s the management’s call to include him in the upcoming Test series. He said:
“It’s a different ball game, I think I need to be, I mean I don’t mind but at the end of the day, the call is on the management. So, yeah, I don’t think I can say much about it.”
Hardik Pandya also played a vital cog for his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians, who won the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League. He carried his IPL’s red hot form into the national side as well. He revealed that during the lockdown period, he worked hard on finishing the games. Talking about the same, he said:
“During lockdown I wanted to focus on finishing games where it matters the most. It doesn’t matter whether I score or don’t score more runs,”
He also recalled the times when he was not new to such situations and revealed that in such situations he used to remember the time when he chased down big totals and it helps him. He said:
“I have been in these situations many times and I learnt from my mistakes in the past. My game is always around the confidence which I carry, it has that fine line where I back myself and not become overconfident. I always remember all those times when we chased big totals and it helps,”
He added:
“It was not about what they are doing, it was about what I can do. It’s a matter of two big shots and today it came off. I always back myself. It’s the situation I have always played. Whatever the team requires I always try to do. It’s very simple. I like to look at scoreboard and play so that I know which bowlers to target,”
