"Stayed away from family for 50 days, that hard work came in handy today." Hardik Pandya became emotional after the victory

When Team India was in trouble on the Cuttack ground, one player stood like a rock and single-handedly changed the fate of the match. That player was Hardik Pandya. In the first T20 match played against South Africa, Hardik not only played the captaincy innings but also won everyone’s hearts with his explosive batting. When the initial wickets fell quickly and the team was under pressure, Hardik came to the crease and scored unbeaten 59 runs in just 28 balls. Due to his stormy innings, India scored a strong score and crushed South Africa badly. “Had to change my game according to the situation.” When Hardik was asked about his innings after the match, he said that it was not easy. He said, “The pitch had a little bounce and spin, so I had to choose my shots very carefully. My focus was not just to hit the ball hard, but to play with the right timing. I had confidence in my natural game and I did the same.” Fulfilling the responsibility of a captain, Hardik not only handled the innings but also took the team to a score from where victory seemed certain. Hardik gave the credit of this victory to his hard work which he had been doing while staying away from the field for the last few months. He became a little emotional and told how he was sweating at the NCA (National Cricket Academy) to be completely fit for the match. Hardik said, “For the last fifty days, I was away from my family and was training continuously. This hard work is successful only when results are visible on the field, and today my fitness and energy supported me completely.” He also said that he is ready to play any role for Team India, his first priority is always the team. When Keshav Maharaj became Hardik’s target, Hardik fiercely attacked South African spinner Keshav Maharaj during his innings. He told that this was not a pre-made plan. He said, “As soon as the ball came into my court, I played a big shot without thinking anything. In cricket, you have to identify the right bowler and put pressure on him, and I adopted the same strategy against Maharaj which was successful.” The bowlers also showed that after the brilliant batting of Damhardik, the Indian bowlers also left no stone unturned. In front of the deadly bowling of Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Akshar Patel, the South African team never appeared in the match. The entire team collapsed for 74 runs in just 12.3 overs and India won the match easily. Hardik Pandya emerged as the real hero of this match. He not only did wonders with the bat but also took a wicket in bowling. His all-round performance has given Team India a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.