Published: Aug 14, 2017, 09:53 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 14, 2017, 09:53 AM (IST)
Hardik Pandya, in his debut ODI, was adjudged Man of the Match. The match was being played at Dharamsala and the legendary Kapil Dev, who is arguably the greatest cricketer to emerge from India, presented the award to him. Pandya’s aggressive batting and ability to clock pace in excess of 140 kph have drawn comparisons. He has often been compared to the Indian legend. On Sunday, with his maiden Test ton, Pandya went on to break one of Kapil’s many records. Pandya slammed Malinda Pushpakumara for a 26-run over, the most by an Indian in Tests. The previous Indian record was held by Kapil himself, which was 24. ALSO READ:Hardik Pandya has potential to become next Kapil Dev, feels MSK Prasad
Pandya is overwhelmed to be compared with Kapil and admitted that if he could become even 10 per cent of the former World Cup-winning captain, he will be overjoyed. “Obviously my focus is to play my cricket and just become what I can become. Even if I can be 10 per cent of what Kapil Dev was, I will be pretty happy in my life,” the Baroda all-rounder said at the press conference at the end of play on Day Two.
Pandya’s 108 helped India to 487, and later he bagged the important wicket of Angelo Mathews. The 23-year-old is an exceptional all-round fielder as well, and very recently, the chairman of selectors MSK Prasad too had mentioned that Pandya has the potential to match Kapil, provided he stays grounded.
Test cricket needs discipline
Prasad’s words may have encouraged the young Pandya. However, there are few who have also raised questions over his temperament at the highest level, especially in Test cricket. Recently, Gautam Gambhir mentioned that Pandya needed to tighten his technique. But Pandya feels he is lucky that people around have been very supportive.
“I am pretty lucky to have such team and such people who are supporting me and backing me all out, and showing the confidence. They have given me all the freedom to play the way I can and that’s the best thing to have happened,” he said.
Pandya said he always harboured dreams of playing Test cricket for India and also elaborated on the difficulties of this format.
“Whenever a kid starts playing in India, he doesn’t think of one-day cricket. Test cricket is always the goal. I am not sure about now, but when I was little I always wanted to play Test cricket. The name is Test because it is a difficult format; it tests your patience, fitness, temperament, etc,” Pandya added.
Speaking about his bowling, Pandya further added on the challenges, “In Test cricket, you need to be disciplined and keep bowling in one place, and eventually the wicket is going to do something. In Ranji Trophy you might get helpful wickets where you get a five-wicket haul in 10 overs as well. But in Test cricket it is different. You need to make sure you bowled disciplined lines and play on the patience of the batsmen. One ball might do something, and you get a wicket.”
