India defeated Pakistan by 4 wickets in a last-ball thriller at MCG.
Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya revealed that he sent a message across to the closest people in his life ahead of the India-Pakistan clash at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday, October 23.
Hardik, who took 3/30 with the ball and scored 40 crucial runs in a match-winning partnership of 113 runs for the fifth wicket with Virat Kohli (82*), said he just had a feeling before the game and took the punt to message his loved ones that he's going to put on a show for them in the high voltage clash.
In a chat with BCCI.TV, Hardik said, “To be honest, I was just very happy to be at the situation which I was at. Being here, playing for my country, having such wonderful people around me, such wonderful cricketers around me and people. I just had a feeling, that’s why before the game I took a punt saying to all the closest people of my life, which are my brother, my wife, my sister-in-law, my manager, I message them saying that I’m gonna put on a show for you guys tonight. So whatever I do, it’s for you. I told Patty as well as I told you guys whether I wanted to be accountable, I wanted to be like Hardik today’s your day,”
“Because a lot of time it happens, and I’ve done it in the past as well, that I find couple of people who I tell them tonight’s gonna be special and it has been special. I don’t say every day. But I just had the self-belief,” he added.
India were under a lot of pressure when Hardik came in to bat at 31/4, chasing 160 to win, but the all-rounder kept his calm and ensured he stitched a partnership first with Kohli and then gradually the duo started to hit out while avoiding undue risks.
“I knew that I prepared well and because I was just numb, I was very calm throughout the time, did not get any, goosebumps, nothing. I was just very calm because I knew that I need to focus on things which I worked on,” he said.
Pandya expressed his happiness at having lived upto his promise and that mattered to him the most as they shared his special moment with the people he cares the most for in his life.
“This is what and I talk about, I know the amount of happiness, love you guys got, or even the happiness because you know that we were talking before the game and something like this happens. That’s why it’s more special. You know, it’s not about who we were playing, how many people were there. This is more special for me that my closest people who I shared something and they were able to live that moment with me the exact feeling what I felt that.” he concluded.