T20 World Cup 2022: "A very good point made by one of the players, that in Australia, it's about one innings" - Hardik Pandya on the key to succeed Down Under 

Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya emphasized the importance of settling into Australian conditions quickly ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022. The Men in Blue departed for Australia on October 5 to give themselves enough time to adapt to the conditions ahead of the Super 12s contests.

The hard and bouncy surfaces Down Under differ vastly from the slow and low tracks in the subcontinent. India's last set of white-ball matches in Australia came around two years ago when cricket's shackles from COVID-19 loosened.

The Men in Blue have a formidable record in Australia when it comes to the shortest format. They have secured two consecutive bilateral series wins and have won seven matches compared to Australia's four victories against the hosts.

Recalling a piece of advice given by one of his teammates, Hardik Pandya said in a video released by the BCCI:

"A very good point made by one of the players, that in Australia, it's about one innings, if you can get that innings early in the season, once you get used to the conditions, you can score a lot of runs here."

Pandya continued:

"At the same point of time, as a fast bowler, if you get used to the conditions, you can exploit it. It really benefits the player if he is keen to take on the responsibility and the challenge."

Team India's early arrival opened up the prospect of playing practice matches in addition to the warm-up matches arranged by the ICC. Rohit Sharma's side played two matches against Western Australia, where Hardik Pandya put in a decent shift.

Assessing his performance from the warm-up matches, especially in the first contest where he scored 27 runs off 20 deliveries in a relatively low-scoring encounter, the all-rounder said:

"In hindsight, maybe that day, for me, was a satisfying one. It is not about the runs I scored, it's about what was my approach, toward the game, what was the situation like, and how I adapted. I think I played 21-odd balls and almost all of them hit the middle of my bat. So, from a practice game point of view, that was more positive."

Pandya struggled with the bat in the second contest, scoring 17 runs off 19 deliveries as India lost by 36 runs in Perth.

"You cannot ask for a better scenario for me or the team to come here and spend 17 days before the World Cup starts" - Hardik Pandya

The first-string squad departed for Australia upon the culmination of the home T20I series against South Africa. The subsequent ODI series was led by Shikhar Dhawan with VVS Laxman at the helm.

Following the two practice matches, India continued their preparations with a six-run win over Australia in their first official warm-up fixture on Monday, October 17.

Terming the scenario of arriving in Australia well ahead of the World Cup to acclimatize to the conditions as ideal, Pandya said:

"I was always excited to come to Australia and get so much time to prepare, because I have always felt that as an individual that if I get the right situation and right conditions to practice, you cannot ask for a better scenario for me or the team to come here and spend 17 days before the World Cup starts, to get used to the conditions, weather, atmosphere, and everything."

India will take on New Zealand in their final warm-up contest before heading into the Super 12s stage. Rohit Sharma's side are scheduled to begin their campaign against Pakistan on Sunday, October 23 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Is Hardik Pandya India's most valuable asset in T20 cricket? Let us know what you think.