"Sharing is caring" - Hardik Pandya on advising Shardul Thakur

Hardik Pandya has said he is always willing to share his knowledge with other Indian bowlers as and when required.

Pandya was seen advising Shardul Thakur in the fourth T20I against England along with stand-in captain Rohit Sharma, while Virat Kohli was in the dugout nursing an injury.

During a post-match interview with Star Sports, Sanjay Bangar asked Hardik Pandya if taking the leadership role was a new facet of his game.

The seam-bowling all-rounder responded that he felt Thakur would have gained from his advice and was hence forthcoming in sharing his experience.

"I anyway play the game intensely and have a little bit of brain as well. So I don't mind sharing that because I feel sharing is caring. I felt as a bowler you need support and I was doing that only," said Pandya.

Hardik Pandya pointed out that he is a team player and is ready to contribute in whichever way possible.

"My captain does not have any problem, neither the management has, they are more than happy getting my inputs which is fine with me and I am always there for the team," added Pandya.

2/16 in four overs from Hardik in a chase of 186 and crucial overs with the new ball, brilliant effort from KungFu Pandya was a massive difference in today's game.Well done India on levelling 5he series#INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/KiqkMWmOt4

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) March 18, 2021

Pandya, who was himself the pick of the bowlers in the encounter, was indeed the right person to share his thoughts.

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"It was was just a question of bowling two good balls" - Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya was himself exceptional with the ball

When asked about his specific advice to Shardul Thakur, Hardik Pandya replied that his only intention was to help his compatriot bowl a couple of good deliveries.

"Nothing much, it was was just a question of bowling two good balls. There were a lot of runs left. Just the focus was for him to bowl two good balls. I felt as a bowler that it was getting difficult to hit a slower ball that was banged on the wicket," said Pandya.

The 27-year-old disclosed the idea was to bowl hit-the-deck slower deliveries, considering there were no specialist batsmen in the middle.

"Actually there was a lot of dew and because of that the ball was changed in the last over and we thought it would be better to bowl the hit-the-wicket slower ball because at the end of the day the bowlers were only batting in the middle," concluded Pandya.

India excellent at the death again - 45/4 off the final five overs with plenty of dew around. High skilled bowling from Bhuvi, Hardik & Shardul - rolling their fingers over a wet ball with that control is no easy task.#INDvsENG https://t.co/wnSs71jmwc

— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) March 18, 2021

Team India seemed home and dry with England requiring 23 runs off the final over. However, a six and a four from Jofra Archer, along with a couple of wide deliveries from Shardul Thakur, set the cat among the pigeons.

But Thakur managed to hold his nerves to help Team India register an eight-run win to level the series at 2-2.