‘Need to do a lot more for longer run with team’
CENTURION: Manish Pandey, India’s batting hero on Wednesday, felt lack of opportunities as well as his inability to grab them and perform consistently has made it tough for him to cement a spot in the India middle order.
Pandey is best remembered for helping India win an ODI in Australia in 2016 with a fighting century as well as scoring a hundred at Centurion during the 2009 IPL. He again came good at the venue. India, struggling at 90/4, had looked like getting restricted to a very modest total on Wednesday. However, Pandey came to the rescue and in the company of MS Dhoni took the team to 188 in their 20 overs. It didn’t prove enough but the innings showed that Pandey has the talent and heart to play under pressure.
Asked if it is the case of him not getting opportunities or that he hasn’t been able to make good use of the chances, Pandey said it has been a bit of both.
“Sometimes I feel that because I bat at
No. 5. (But) most of the times I got chances at No. 4, I delivered. But the batting combination sometimes pushes me down to No.
5. I have tried my bit
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The people who have batted at No. 5 before me have been guys like Raina, Yuvraj. To step into their shoes is a little tough...
MANISH PANDEY, On his role
but I also feel that I could also probably do a little bit more with myself. As you know, India have a really good line up and the top 3 bat till 30-35 overs and with Mahi coming ahead of me. But yeah, some more chances and I wish I could deliver more. And I feel I can deliver a lot more than what I am doing right now,” he told reporters after the match. Pandey had made 79 off 48 balls – his knock included six fours and three sixes. Pandey feels being in and out of the team works against you whenever you are trying to come back. “Honestly it’s a little tough and it works on your mind a lot. Especially on this tour, I have felt it a lot actually. But you have to wait for your chances, especially playing for a team like India when you have so many stars and legends after legends in the line-up.”
He feels that it is tough to step into the shoes of Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina who have done a great job at No. 5. “The people who have batted at No. 5 before me have been guys like Raina, Yuvraj. To step into their shoes is a little tough but it has been a couple of years until now that the Indian batting line-up is doing really well. I think you have to be very patient for your chances.”
Pandey said that they eventually managed to get 20 runs more than they had expected “Mahi is the best when he bats lower down the order, takes a couple of overs and looks to dominate and that’s what happened. He has done that a number of times. I thought SA bowled well. It is just that a couple of inside edges went to the boundary and some great shots by Mahi took us to 188, but SA bowled fairly well today.”
Brief scores: India 188/4 in 20 overs (M Pandey 79*, MS Dhoni 52*). South Africa 189/4 in 18.4 overs (J Duminy 64*, H Klaasen 69). South Africa won by six wickets