<p> After his exceptional 115 on the third day of the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Punjab on Saturday, the 20-year-old said nerves, as much as anything else, had prevented him from having a successful debut season last year.<br /><br /> “To be honest, I was a little nervous playing for Karnataka last season,” he observed. “This time around, I am a lot more comfortable. I am better off for playing last year, and now I am determined to avoid those mistakes of the past.”<br /><br /> Pandey threw light on his general approach to batting, and to this innings in particular. “The idea was to try and bat long, get my eye in. This was a very crucial match for the team, our first match in a knockout situation. I was always confident we would get past their total, but it was important to spend time in the middle.<br /><br /> “I didn’t go out with pre-meditated ideas. If the ball was there to hit, I hit it because that’s how I normally play, but there was no conscious effort to transfer the pressure on to the bowlers.”<br /><br /> Pandey’s tally of 668 runs in seven matches is next only to Parthiv Patel’s season-high 727. “Today’s hundred has to be my best of the season because it came in a crunch game,” said Pandey, who made 194 against Uttar Pradesh in the season-opener and followed it up with 110 against Baroda in Vadodara.</p>
<p> After his exceptional 115 on the third day of the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Punjab on Saturday, the 20-year-old said nerves, as much as anything else, had prevented him from having a successful debut season last year.<br /><br /> “To be honest, I was a little nervous playing for Karnataka last season,” he observed. “This time around, I am a lot more comfortable. I am better off for playing last year, and now I am determined to avoid those mistakes of the past.”<br /><br /> Pandey threw light on his general approach to batting, and to this innings in particular. “The idea was to try and bat long, get my eye in. This was a very crucial match for the team, our first match in a knockout situation. I was always confident we would get past their total, but it was important to spend time in the middle.<br /><br /> “I didn’t go out with pre-meditated ideas. If the ball was there to hit, I hit it because that’s how I normally play, but there was no conscious effort to transfer the pressure on to the bowlers.”<br /><br /> Pandey’s tally of 668 runs in seven matches is next only to Parthiv Patel’s season-high 727. “Today’s hundred has to be my best of the season because it came in a crunch game,” said Pandey, who made 194 against Uttar Pradesh in the season-opener and followed it up with 110 against Baroda in Vadodara.</p>
