Hardik Pandya said that he will likely make a culture where the players would be allowed to openly play while Hardik also heaped praises on Mohammed Siraj who bagged the Player of the Match Award for his great bowling spell of 4 for 17.
On the rear of India securing the T20I series against New Zealand, Hardik Pandya said that he will likely make a culture where the players would be allowed to openly play.
He also highlighted that India had a comparative layout for the fair and finished up T20 World Cup held in Australia but they couldn’t proceed according to their assumptions.
“In my view, as a captain, I want to give as much freedom as possible, the kind of culture where the player can go out there and play with freedom,”
Hardik said at the post-match press conference on Tuesday (November 22).
“It was there during the World Cup too. Obviously, there were things we couldn’t do better, those things got highlighted and we couldn’t win. But going forward, it would always be. We won’t play in a certain way. The attempt would be to enjoy the game, if you want to hit the first ball, we will always be back and we will try to ensure that the players play with freedom.”
Hardik also heaped praises on Mohammed Siraj who bagged the Player of the Match Award for his great bowling spell of 4 for 17 – the speedster’s best T20I bowling figures.
“Siraj did exactly what I wanted from this wicket,”
said the allrounder. Hardik once again established that under his leadership, the team will look to play with intent.
“In T20 cricket, you get hit, somewhere down the line if you go on defense as a bowler, you will have good days but at the same point of time, you’re not having a good day, it will literally haunt you. So for me, and my bowling unit, the plan is simple: let’s be aggressive. What is going to happen? We will lose the game.
“As I mentioned in the last game as well, it is not about being aggressive, it is not about going for a wicket every ball, and it is about your behavior. It is about your attitude; it is about your body language. Going forward, we will maintain this, we will be aggressive as a bowling unit and at the same point of time, and we will pick bowlers who can intimidate batters if needed.”
“What people are saying from outside, doesn’t matter much at this level. It is my team, what I and the coach feel is right”
“There is a lot of time, everyone will get a chance, and when one gets a chance, he will get a long run. If it was a longer series, if there were more matches, obviously opportunities would have been given. But when it is a short series, I don’t believe in chop and change and the future also, I wouldn’t believe.”
All three encounters were impacted by rain. However, Hardik said the setup will take a lot of positives from the shortened series. Deepak Hooda’s bowling is certainly a box ticked and Hardik expects more batters to roll their arm over in the future.
“It was a short tour but it was important. The way we played and dominated in the second game, going forward would give a lot of confidence to the team. There are certain things that we need to do better going forward, I think this was one step, we have time. But it has started from here, whatever series we play from here, we will try to get better.
“It was simple; whatever was needed for the team, like I needed a sixth bowling option, that thing has come in this tour. The way Deepak has bowled, if slowly the batters chip in like that. Eventually, in T20 cricket, even if the game isn’t going anywhere, you can dictate by using new bowlers and surprise the batter.”