New Delhi: With MS Dhoni not getting any younger and question marks lingering over his finishing skills, Hardik Pandya is confident of taking over and playing the role of a finisher in the Indian limited overs side.
"You should be brave enough to do the job that is required of you. I back myself to play in any situation. I see myself as a proper all-rounder, one who can do a job with the ball and also finish games with the bat," said Hardik.
Pandya though, got out at a crucial time when India needed just 31 off 29 balls in a 190-run chase and India lost the match to West Indies by 12 runs.
India’s fancied batting line-up came under heavy criticism after failing to close out a modest total, particularly when players like Dhoni and Pandya were at the crease.
But Pandya is not ready to read too much into that and promises that India would go hard in the last game to claim the series.
"We will be fearless in the final game. Last game was one of those games where it did not click. But we will go ahead and express ourselves, that is when we play our best cricket," he said further.
Throwing light into the proceedings in the middle during the second ODI, Pandya brushed aside the messed up chase as a one off incident.
"The conversation with MS was pretty simple to be honest. With the power which we both have we thought to take the innings deep and then chase it down. Most times we would chase 31 off 29 balls but then we were not able to finish. I back myself to finish the game for the team and all these instances are part of the learnings," said Pandya at Sabina Park.
Pandya added that he was aware of the conditions in the West Indies even before he landed in the Caribbean, thanks to his Mumbai Indians teammates in the IPL.
"I am pretty close to the names you took (Kieron Pollard and Lendl Simmons, who are not part of the ODI team). The first call was to Pollard. I asked him about the pitches and conditions. They are my brothers from another mother. It would have been nice to play against them and enjoy some healthy banter," he added.
"I am pretty happy with the way things are going for me. Both with bat and ball," said Pandya, who believes that he can be equally handy with both bat and ball.
He is known for his big sixes but he has played some patient innings according to the situation of the game. Captain Virat Kohli has also helped him deal with the pressures of international cricket.
"He has helped a lot. I remember when I finished the game against England, it was a 43-ball 40. That day Virat told me that 'international is like copy paste and you have to keep repeating your performances'. All these things I have kept in mind. He is a big influence on all the players," said Pandya, who has played 16 ODIs so far.