Virat Kohli's discipline and confidence inspires me, says Hardik Pandya

What's the story?

In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, India's flamboyant all-rounder Hardik Pandya talked about his maiden Test century as well as his control over the game.

Speaking about his Test debut in the recently concluded India's tour to Sri Lanka, Pandya said, "I went from T20Is to one-day cricket, where my start was pretty amazing and then the Test series was fabulous because I always dreamt of playing for India in whites."

He also credited his father for his splendid knock and said, "I had a conversation with my father at the end of the first day’s play, when I was batting on 1 and my father casually remarked ‘add two zeroes to the one tomorrow’. Next day, I actually scored my first Test hundred."

He also added that he draws his inspiration from the Indian skipper Virat Kohli. "I’ve seen Virat, and the discipline he has, and the confidence he has. I am confident and I want to learn his discipline. I keep on asking questions, try to learn", he added.

In case you didn't know...

Pandya donned the white jersey for the first time during India's tour to Sri Lanka last month. He scored 100 off 86 balls in the first innings with the help of fifteen boundaries that included eight 4s and seven 6s.

India won that match by an innings and 171 runs and whitewashed the hosts in the three-match series.

The details

Pandya's innings was an impressive one, and a lot of people were surprised by the kind of control over the game that he displayed. When asked about the same, Pandya said that he knows that a lot of people believe that he doesn't have any control over himself while he plays.

However, he thinks he easily can "...change my work ethics, control my game, be polite to people and be good to people."

He further added that he is open to criticism but at the end of the day, he likes being his genuine self and working hard towards his goals in his style.

He also spoke about his tattoos and hairstyle and said that they are a part of his personality. He stated that all the experiments that he does with his looks, which have met media and fan attention, are essentially for himself and should be left at that.

What's next?

Pandya will start training with the Indian soon as India prepare for the limited-overs series against Australia. The two teams will meet for their first encounter on 17 September. They will play five ODIs and three T20Is.

Author's note

India has one of the best all-rounders in Pandya. He has proved himself in the limited over formats which gained him a spot in the Test series. He has then continued to impress the onlookers with his performances both with the bat and the ball.

Undoubtedly, he is has learned a lot in the past few years. It was his experience and understanding of the game that urged him to play a calculated knock when India had lost its four wickets. Despite the pressure, he went onto score 108 which speaks volumes about his command over the game.

However, it cannot be denied that he still has a long way to go. Owing to his talents and hard work, experience, and the team's discipline will soon mould Pandya into the kind of player that he aspires to be.