'It's not just about hitting. It's pretty important that I read the game'
'It's about being positive and backing yourself'
He is the cynosure of all eyes because of his six-hitting prowess, but Hardik Pandya says it's not a skill he has developed overnight; he has been clearing the ropes easily since childhood!
Twice in the ongoing series against Australia, he seized the momentum for India with his big-hitting abilities.
During the first ODI in Chennai, he took leg-spinner Adam Zampa to the cleaners, while in the series-clinching ODI in Indore on Sunday night he came up with big shots against left-arm spinner Ashton Agar at a crucial juncture.
Asked if his bludgeoning 76-run knock against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final was the turning point for him, he replied: "If you want to think that way, you can; I have no problems. I played well in the IPL before that. Last year's IPL wasn't great for me; so I worked hard, and the form came back.
"And I used to hit sixes before too; it's just that I am hitting them at a higher level now. I have been hitting sixes since childhood otherwise," said Pandya at the Sunday’s post-match press conference.
"So whatever you say, if you say Pakistan changed my game, then so be it; I have no problem," he added.
Pandya's 78-run knock came at a time when India had lost four wickets in quick time.
Further, talking about his ability to hit sixes at will, he said he prefers reading the game before making shot-selection.
"It's not just about hitting. It's pretty important that I read the game. That time (in Chennai) I thought Zampa was bowling and I knew that I could hit a six off him anytime I wanted to. That's why I waited till the seventh over and then I got the opportunity to change the momentum and eventually one over changed the momentum in that game," he said.
"I tried and it came out pretty well. That's just my thinking. It's about being positive and backing yourself. If I feel like, I go for it. I read the situation and go for it."
Pandya, who usually bats at number seven after Mahendra Singh Dhoni, came out to bat at number four on Sunday.
"It does not make any difference where I bat," he asserted.
"Rather than seeing this as a challenge, I see this as an opportunity to do something nice for the team. When I was told I was going to go out to bat next, I was happy. This is the first time I played so many balls, so it was great," he said.
"The message was always simple. Play your game, however you play. I can play all kinds of innings. Obviously, the plan was to target the spinners and it came out pretty well."
Following his consistent performances, Pandya is expected to carry the weight of expectations like other star players of the team. However, the all-rounder says he does not think that way.
"I don't think that much. I focus only on the things which I can focus and right now I am just playing my cricket. I just back myself and if you back yourself, you always come out on top. I mean you can't score everyday but yeah, backing yourself is pretty important," he said.
He also acknowledged the platform provided by openers Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane with their 131-run partnership.
"The shots which they played were outstanding. Many people have said it in the past and I am again saying it. It's a treat to watch them play and the way they play," Pandya said.
He also dismissed suggestions that the team was under pressure while chasing an imposing 294 after losing four top-order batsmen.
"I don't think so. I was batting on 40 or something and the equation was also at run-a-ball. We knew if we took the game deep, then the boundary balls will also come, since the margin of runs wasn't much.
"We bat pretty deep, and it was only a matter of spendingmore time. We actually knew we could get over the line."
