Internet Desk: Indian cricket team’s star middle order batsman Manish Pandey has said that he can only hold his spot in the playing XI by scoring a lot of runs in the forthcoming matches.
“Definitely, there is pressure in the middle order. I would like to play more games and win matches for India. I am doing the hard work to try and find a place for me in the playing eleven,” he said ahead of the fourth ODI against Australia on Thursday.
During his comeback tour in Sri Lanka earlier in September, Manish scored two half centuries, but failed to score big runs in the ongoing Australia’s tour of India. Though he scored 36 in the last ODI against the Aussies in Indore.
Pandya played on number four in Chennai and Kolkata but later Pandya was promoted in the batting order and Manish was sent to bat on number six in Indore.
“It is completely different when you are playing number three, four or six. It is all about the mindset. It is about aggressiveness. I would like to spend more time on the wicket to make myself feel at ease at the crease,” he said.
India have already secured the series with a hat-trick of wins but Pandey insisted that Australia remains a tough opposition.
He also reacted to Harbhajan Singh’s jibe at the struggling Australians. The off-spinner had urged Michael Clarke to come out of retirement to bail the visitors out, saying the current batsmen lack quality.
“I think it is his own views about cricket. I think Australia is a fairly good side which boasts of quality batsmen. It is this series where they have lost matches on the trot. Nevertheless, they are a team to beat,” said Pandey.
Asked whether the confidence level of the Aussies is down after losing a series of ODIs against India and other teams, Pandey said their middle-order is not clicking.
“I think they are doing really well, but some of the things are not clicking for them. Their top order is getting runs, but not the middle order,” he said.
On the other hand, India are doing well in all the departments, he said.