Picture Credit: ICC
While India lost the first two matches of the five-match T20I series against South Africa, they have made a remarkable comeback into the series by winning the next two games. Their victory, especially in the last game at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on Friday, will give immense satisfaction to the Men in Blue after they were in a spot of bother but ended up winning the game by a handsome margin of 82 runs.
Hardik Pandya, who played a crucial role in India's win in the fourth T20I, while speaking to player of the match Dinesh Karthik in a post-match chat said that he is thankful to MS Dhoni for helping him grow as a cricketer. He even recalled advice given to him from the Master Finisher himself when he asked the former India skipper about how he keeps calm under pressure.
"In my early days, I asked Mahi bhai one question. I asked him how he gets away from pressure, and he gave me some very simple advice — 'stop thinking about your own score and start thinking about what your team requires'. From very early, that lesson has stuck to my mind and helped me become the kind of player I am now," Hardik said in a video uploaded on BCCI TV. A sneak peek into the video has been shared on their social media.
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India were 81/4 in 12.5 overs when Karthik joined Hardik Pandya in the middle. The duo added 65 runs off 33 balls to not only bail India out of trouble but help them post a competitive score of 169/6. While Karthik scored his maiden T20I half-century, eventually getting out for 55 off 27 only in the last over, Hardik Pandya chipped in with a 31-ball 46. In response, South Africa were bundled out for 87 with Avesh Khan scalping 4 wickets for 18 runs.