IND vs ENG 2022, Southampton T20I: Rohit Sharma impressed by Hardik Pandya's all-round effort
India defeated England by 50 runs in the Southampton T20I on Thursday. While Hardik Pandya's all-round effort played a significant role, skipper Rohit Sharma was impressed by the same.
FollowTeam India came up with a thumping performance in the opening Twenty20 International (T20I) against England at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on Thursday. The visitors rode to a swift 50-run winning performance to go up a 1-0 in the three-game series. The Indians were governed by all-rounder Hardik Pandya's effective performance across departments. While he scored a valuable 33-ball 51, as a pacer, he scalped four wickets. In the meantime, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was impressed by Pandya's all-round outing, besides hailing the side for putting up a complete effort throughout the match.
Following the success, Rohit recorded, "Great performance from ball one. All batters showed intent. Although the pitch was good, we played good shots and never got ahead of the game. You got to make use of those six overs in the powerplay. There is a certain approach we want to take in the powerplay."
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"You got to back yourself in this game. Sometimes it comes off, and sometimes it doesn't. The batting unit needs to understand the team's direction, and the guys were spot on today. I was impressed with his [Pandya's] bowling. He wants to do that a lot more in the future, bowled quick and used his variations too. Of course, his batting is there for us to see.," added Rohit during the post-match presentation.
"That's why we wanted to bat [ball swinging under lights]. Sometimes it does swing in the evenings, and we wanted to utilize that. Both the new ball bowlers used the swing and stopped their batters. We were sloppy on the field. Those catches should have been taken. Pretty sure we will field well in the coming games," Rohit concluded.
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Meanwhile, reflecting on his performance, Pandya reported, "The last time I played a T20 in England, I think I took four wickets and scored some 30. So, I knew I was the first Indian to score fifty and take four wickets. I am enjoying my cricket right now. For me, a lot of time goes into the preparation to get my body ready."
"The kind of break I took before this run of play, I want to capitalize on the opportunities. I felt I needed that break. It is about giving your 100%, and playing is no point when you don't do that. So, I needed that break, and now, I am happy to be in this place, " terminated Pandya.
