New Delhi: Australia spinner Adam Zampa has opted to revisit the nightmarish experience he had against Hardaik Pandya during the first ODI match in Chennai on Sunday. The leg-spinner was hit for three successive sixes by the India all-rounder at Chepauk.
India won the rain-interrupted match by 26 runs in D/L method, despite enduring one of their worst ever start to a match. Skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat first, but an inspired bowling effort from Aussie pacers freduced India to 87/5. But the coming together of former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Pandya changed the course of the match, with India posting a very good total of 281 runs.
One of the defining moments of the Chennai ODI match was Pandya taking apart the Aussie bowler, with one over producing 24 runs thanks to three sixes of successive balls. And Zampa has no hesistation in admitting the fact that he had indeed failed to execute the plan.
He also admitted that it's never a good feeling for any bowler to be hit for three sixes. But the 25-year-old said, he has learned his lessons and will try to get Pandya early in the next match. The second match of the five-match ODI series is scheduled for Thrsday (September 21) at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
“I pride myself on bowling well under pressure but the other day I did not execute how I would have liked to in the over against Hardik. It would have been important to get him off the strike. Probably I bowled three balls too full. As soon as you miss against a player like Hardik, it’s going to go the distance. Hardik is a very good player.
“In Australia, you can mess up your length a little bit and you will probably get away with it purely because of the size (of the ground). Here the length is very important. You never liked to be hit for three sixes in a row. But I guess it does happen, probably happened to Shane Warne. As long as you don’t put yourself under too much pressure and learn from those situations, it’s good. Hopefully, I will get him out earlier next time,” he added.
Zampa also talked about Dhoni's importance in any set up. He and Dhoni are team-mates at the Indian Premier League franchise, Rising Pune Supergiant.
“MS has obviously done it for a long time and probably played a lot of innings under pressure like that. The way he has timed his innings in his whole career is probably something. To have him as a guide for a young player like Hardik and others in the Indian team is very helpful," he added.
