Middle-order is where I bat: Pandey
Manish Pandey has remained unbeaten in the last five one-day matches he has played, the latest of which was an unbeaten 50 against Sri Lanka in India’s 168-run win in the fourth One-Day International at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Thursday (August 31).
The four earlier knocks came for India A against South Africa A and Afghanistan A in the triangular series in South Africa recently. His series started with a 55, and then he went on to score 41 not out, 86 out out, 93 not out and 32 not out in leading the side to the title.
“It really helps when you know that you have some runs in the back,” said Pandey after the win that took India 4-0 up in the five-match series. “The tournament in South Africa helped me a lot.”
Such was his form that he had to be included in the squad for the limited-overs leg of the tour of Sri Lanka, but would Pandey find his spot in a side so compact?
Not till Thursday, when he replaced Kedar Jadhav in the middle-order. The main advantage Jadhav has over Pandey is the fact that he can provide India an additional bowling option with his consistent offbreaks.
Now, with Virat Kohli trying his hand at that part-time spinner’s role, a more regular spot could open up for Pandey.
On Thursday, Pandey came out to bat at No. 6, ahead of MS Dhoni, and he scored a composed half-century from 42 balls. It was Pandey’s second fifty in ten innings since making his debut against Zimbabwe in 2015.
“I had a chat with Ravi (Shastri) bhai yesterday, and even today, before the start of the game, about how I should take some time before I start playing my natural game,” said Pandey.
After India won the toss, Kohli opted to bat and he made Sri Lanka pay for its wayward bowling. The Indian skipper slammed 131 from 96 balls, while Rohit Sharma added a breezy 104 from 88 deliveries. The two, who added 219 runs for the second wicket, gave India’s middle-order the perfect platform to push towards a total close to 400.
“The start was really, really important. I think we did it really well given the fact that it was really hot,” said Pandey. “The guys were batting really well and were looking for boundaries. That is what helped us reach 375 (for 5) today.”
Despite the rollicking start, India lost traction a bit between overs 34 and 37.4 as it lost Hardik Pandya, Rohit and KL Rahul within a span of 12 runs. Only after Pandey and Dhoni got together and saw off Sri Lanka’s resistance before unleashing a barrage of big hits, was India able to get where it did.
“There were wickets falling on the other side but I had to keep my calm and rotate the strike,” explained Pandey. “I have played a few games with Dhoni so I already know how he plays. I know how he likes to rotate the strike. I like to bat with somebody who loves to do that. With Mahi bhai, you are always on your toes and he keeps giving you advice.”
While India continued to win without skipping a beat, there was one concern and it was of Rahul’s form. In his last three games, he has scored 4, 17 and 7 respectively. In each of those innings, Akila Dananjaya, the new Sri Lanka mystery spinner, has dismissed him. Moved down the order by a spot in each of the three games he has batted in so far, has probably not helped Rahul’s cause either.
Rahul missed the Champions Trophy 2017 due to the shoulder injury he picked up during the Test series against Australia in February. On his return to cricket, he scored two half-centuries in the second and third Tests against Sri Lanka, but he has looked off-colour in the shorter format.
“Rahul is used to batting in the top order and the game is a little different there. I think it is on him to come out of this situation again, he has to understand maybe how the middle overs go because he always opens the batting and suddenly you are batting after 30 overs, you need some time,” said Pandey, Rahul’s statemate at Karnataka, who himself missed the Champions Trophy 2017 because of a side strain.
“Even I was feeling difficult when I was batting at No. 6, batting used to come after 40 overs and I was used to batting at No. 4 when batting comes after 25 overs. So it always takes time, and the faster you learn, the better batsman you become.”
The Nainital-born Pandey, who rose to prominence after becoming the first Indian to score a century in the Indian Premier League in 2009 as a 19-year-old, has played a bulk of his cricket at No. 4, but he has not cemented that position in the national side. In fact, Rahul had been earmarked for the role for this series at least.
“Middle-order is where I bat. Starting from No. 4 to No. 6 I have batted for India. I have to be ready for whatever spot I get,” said Pandey after a spot of hesitation with a hint of desperation in his voice. “If you keep performing, you may come one-up in the order. So that will be my goal to fix a spot for myself and stay there.”
