India’s newest batting star Manish Pandey said No 4 is the slot where he feels most comfortable batting as it helps him build an innings like he did during his match-winning century against Australia in the fifth and final ODI here.
“Batting at No 4 is my forte. It suits my batting style. In the earlier two matches, I did not get much time to bat. My style is to play the first three or four deliveries to gauge the pitch and change my style accordingly. It’s difficult to boundaries every ball, so you need to take the singles and twos and then capitalise on the loose deliveries,” Pandey told bcci.Tv.
While Pandey wants to push his case for the No 4 slot, his limited overs captain feels otherwise.
“The kind of innings Manish has played today will give him an extra 10-15 ODIs, where you can really settle in and start to do what you need to at the international level, adapting to the demands of the game. A lot will change when you play at different venues and in different conditions. As of now he is someone who looks good at No 5,” Dhoni had said.
Pandey said that in his mind, he had visualised before the start that he will have a good day.
“I had pictures in my mind about raising my bat, kissing the helmet. There were some nervous moments.
“This is one of the most thrilling games that I have been a part of. Especially being out there in middle. Seeing team through playing those deliveries,” said Pandey.
‘Disturbed by Spidercam’
Not too happy with the use of overhead ‘Spidercam’ during the ODI series against Australia, India’s limited-over skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has called for a balance in the usage of such technology so that it doesn’t interfere with the on-field action.
During the fifth ODI, India were denied a boundary in the 19th over when Virat Kohli’s shot off John Hastings had hit the spidercam, prompting the umpires to declare it a dead ball.
“I am quite a traditional guy. Anything that disturbs the game of cricket I don’t like it,” Dhoni said.
“It all started right from the Twenty20 where people would be like, ‘Why don’t you wear a micIJ’, ‘Why don’t you wear a cameraIJ’
“I always feel there is always a need for a balance. At the end of the day, it’s a spectators’ sport, people watching on television, but at the same time four runs can really matter.
Dhoni also suggested that some form of penalty should be imposed if Spidercam gets in the way during the match.
“Everyone gets penalised, why not have the same system for the SpidercamIJ Say, ‘Okay if you get hit, $2,000 per hit.’ let’s make it interesting,” he said jokingly.