Indian skipper Virat Kohli had said that the team has started preparing keeping a sight at the 2019 World Cup, and stressed on the flexibility part. On Sunday, the viewers did get to see a shuffle in the batting line up. All-rounder Hardik Pandya stepped out to bat at no.4 instead of Manish Pandey, who batted at the particular position in the last two games.
Pandya didn’t disappoint, as he played a match-winning hand of 78 runs and took India home. The experiment clicked as India sealed the series with three straight victories. Meanwhile Pandey said that he was very much comfortable with the strategy and understood the need of the hour.
“Well that is what the plan of the team was and I was comfortable with it. Sometimes the plan depends on if the spinners are around or sometimes may be a batsman is aggressive enough and can hit big sixes is asked to pad up. That is what the plan was and that is what Ravi Shastri told us in the meeting, ” said Pandey at a presser in Bengaluru, on Tuesday.
The Pandya move worked for India
“The plan did pan out. Hardik played really well and got another 50-plus score and that is good for the middle order, makes it a bit easier for us. I am ready to bat at number 5 and if a wicket or two falls early on, our middle order is talented enough to carry on the team from there and win the match.” he added.”Probably everything isn’t clicking for them at the same time. They are an excellent team, their top order lineup is indeed putting in the effort, but the middle order isn’t clicking for them. While for us, our every depart has been clicking and I think that is why we have been doing well. But the, they are a good team and it always gives us a sense of joy when we beat them.” Pandey said.
India will play Australia in the 4th ODI at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on September 28.
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