"I have been working on fine-tuning my action" - Hardik Pandya on bowling with the new ball

Among all the positives, Virat Kohli and Team India will take from their series win against England, Hardik Pandya's return with the new ball would be right at the top.

After being out of action for 14 months, Hardik Pandya returned to bowling duty in the T20I series against Australia late last year. However, there were concerns over his fitness and workload management. Pandya, however, returned with the ball for Team India in the recently-concluded T20I series, impressing one and all with his speed and accuracy.

Given the daunting task of bowling with the new ball in the powerplay overs against a dangerous England top-order, Hardik Pandya returned exceptional bowling figures in all the five T20Is.

Speaking to the host broadcaster after Team India's series victory, the all-rounder said:

"I have been working on fine-tuning my action, but at the end of the day, you are thinking of what kind of delivery you want to bowl. It's slightly difficult, but I am coping really well."

If Hardik Pandya the batsman doesn't get you, Hardik Pandya the bowler will. pic.twitter.com/okMnmpYwm0

— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) March 18, 2021

When I bat, it helps that I can think as a bowler: Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya further added that he benefits from being able to look at the game from a bowling perspective while he is batting. He revealed that his performance in the five T20I games will boost his confidence going into the T20 World Cup later this year.

The 27-year old also spoke about Team India's plans of trying out a variety of different combinations during the series, something that worked well in the team's favour. Hardik Pandya said in this regard:

"Looking at the World Cup, we wanted to try out a few things and also to break the jinx of batting first and winning. The wicket allowed us to use more variations and make sure the batsmen were not getting anything in their zone. We didn't speak much about using slower balls, but the wicket allowed us to do it. The variation is our strength as well. The batsman is always guessing, and that one fraction of a second you get changes the game".

Job done 🏆✅ Congratulations #TeamIndia! Bring on the ODIs 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/a2dIlvkzL9

— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) March 20, 2021

Hardik Pandya will now look forward to continuing his good work in the three-match ODI series.