Mumbai: On a pitch at a sunny Saturday afternoon in DY Patil Stadium, Hardik Pandya was motoring properly in his third successive IPL fifty towards Kolkata Knight Riders.  Pandya was trying all set to take Gujarat to a rating above 180. But on a brief, slower supply from pacer Tim Southee within the 18th over, Pandya couldn’t get the required energy and elevation for the pull and holed out to a diving deep mid-wicket.

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After his fall, Southee obtained Rashid Khan out after which Andre Russell within the ultimate over took out Abhinav Manohar and Lockie Ferguson on successive quick balls in a sensational four-wicket over. That three overs section, the place slower, quick balls had been onerous to hit on a dry pitch laid the blueprint for Gujarat’s bowlers to get wickets with short-pitched stuff.

“We were 10-15 runs short. But with the bowling attack we have, I backed my chances to save 156. The wicket played the same in both innings. It had up and down bounce and the ball was not climbing up much but back of the length was working really well, which was our strength,” stated Pandya within the post-match digital press convention.

The short-ball ploy labored as Mohammed Shami took out Sam Billings with a brief ball and the top-edge from the blade of the batter flew to keeper Wriddhiman Saha. Shami and Yash Dayal would then hassle Sunil Narine with quick ball on the physique earlier than the senior pacer obtained him out by pulling uncomfortably to quick tremendous leg.

“I just told the boys before going in that this will be the game where we need to put our 110 per cent and told them that I had batted for 50 balls, where the most difficult ball was the one which hits the deck. You back your pace and ask the batter to play a good shot. With the kind of start we got initially and the execution we did, kudos to all the boys and I was very happy. I would always back my bowlers and bowling attack.”

Nitish Rana anticipated a brief ball however poked at a size supply and the sting went behind to Saha. Shreyas Iyer was additionally undone by the quick ball coming from over-the-wicket angle of Dayal, giving one other wholesome edge to Saha.

Russell might have had obtained out early on the quick ball if not for Dayal’s entrance foot no ball. Though the big-hitter slammed sixes on quick balls, he finally fell to a brief ball from Joseph, getting a top-edge on pull to tremendous leg.

It additionally helps that Pandya’s advanced understanding of the sport over time is now serving to him as a frontrunner of the Gujarat facet and resort to ways which allow his group to win in IPL 2022.

“Captaincy obviously helps a lot. I’m always a cricketer who loves to take responsibility. I have a bit of understanding of the game having batted for so many years. You’re successful because you have an understanding of the game. Having played so many matches, I’m able to use my experience. I have the understanding about making the batting and bowling changes as I have been able to understand the nature of the wicket. So far, has been so good.”

With Gujarat now on high of the factors desk with the eight-run win on Saturday, Pandya desires to stay within the current and isn’t concerned about considering too far.

“I don’t think it’s my comeback (bid to the Indian team) anyway and secondly I don’t focus on my comeback. I focus on the games which I play. Currently, I am playing IPL and will focus on it, then will see where the future takes. It’s never in my hands now. I focus on the team which I’m playing in. We are doing pretty well and I’m very happy,”

For now, he desires to get again to the preparation board and recuperate nicely to get a crack at bowling (possibly quick balls), one thing which he didn’t do towards Kolkata.

“With the three days left, I’ll go back to the drawing board and recover to see how I am. It was hot (on Saturday), so we didn’t want to take risks. Rash (Rashid Khan) was there to take care on the field.”

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