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| Credit to Rohit and Dravid for ensuring increased security and freedom for players: Hardik |
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Basseterre: India skipper Rohit Sharma wants the team to step away from what it had been doing for the past five-six years and has given the players security and freedom to express themselves, said star all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
"Ro (Rohit Sharma) gives you a lot of flexibility and freedom which is his strength throughout his captaincy stint whenever I have played with him," Pandya said after India's seven-wicket win in the third T20I.
"A lot of credit goes to him and Rahul Dravid the way they have got the team together and making sure a lot of positive mindset comes in and players are feeling secure; they are not looking over their shoulder; making sure they are getting ample chances; they are getting told as well if they are not playing, and that is something which is commendable."
India chased down a target of 165 with ease on the slow surface at Warner Park to canter to a three-wicket win in the third game and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
"Credit again goes to Ro and the coach. We were all having a chat about how we should go about the slow wicket, do we still want to continue this style of play," Pandya said.
"He gave us the freedom, saying that you know what, forget about the results, we are trying something new, we are going to make mistakes, we are going to learn from it.
"But what we have been doing for five-six years, we are going to go away from that, and make sure that we try everything and all options that are available, and when it comes to the World Cup, we'll know how to play."
Pandya also heaped praise on Suryakumar Yadav, who scored 76 off 44 balls to emerge as the best batter for India in the 3rd game.
"Surya is someone who is an exceptional player. When he starts playing...some shots which he plays, you just go in awe. Today he played an amazing knock and it was not at all easy," Hardik said.
"A lot of credit goes to him. He has worked hard and is getting his due."
Hardik also extolled the current Indian middle order, comprising the likes of Rishabh Pant, Deepak Hooda and Ravindra Jadeja, for its performance.
"It gives a lot of confidence to see how they play every time. Even when we are three wickets down on 10, the opposition are still aware of the fact that this same team can post a strong total of 190 with the help of the middle-order batters," Hardik said.
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