India vs Pakistan: Team India's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya's confidence has been top-notch ever since he returned to international cricket from his injury. In the final over of India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2022 match in Dubai, the Men in Blue needed 7 runs for the win. Pandya had put India on top by hitting three fours in the 19th over. However, things got pretty intense as Jadeja was out on the very first ball of the last over and India scored just three runs in the first three balls.
But, confident hard-hitting batter Hardik knew he was just one hit away from winning the match for his team, and ultimately this is what he did. Pandya struck a huge six on the fourth ball of the 20th over to help India beat Pakistan by 5 wickets in the very same Dubai cricket stadium where the Men in Green had thumped India by 10 wickets in T20 World Cup 2021.
BCCI posted a video in which Pandya can be seen speaking to Jadeja after the match. Hardik said that not five, even if there were 10 fielders it wouldn't have mattered as he had to hit the ball out of the ground.
"Saat run mujhe kuch jyada badhe lag nahi rahe they, kyunki left arm spinner hain. Aur paanch fielder baahar the ussey mujhe kuch farak nahi padh raha tha. Kyunki paanch kya agar dus fielder hote, dus fielder bahar hote, mereko toh maarna hi tha toh mujhe usse farak nahi pad raha tha,” said Pandya.
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"Pure inning maine ek hi baar emotion dikhaya, jab aap out huye. Par generally bataun toh pressure nahi tha. Mere hisab se usko zyada pressure tha, main woh count kar raha tha ki woh ek mistake karein. Aap pressure ko jis tarike se handle kar sake tabhi aap execution kar sakte hain. Mujhe pata tha ki jis tarike se usne fielder ko thoda idhar kiya hai voh back of length pe jaayega aur maine maar diya," Pandya further added.