If MS Dhoni is Mercedes version, Manish Pandey is Alto version: Ajay Jadeja

New Zealand suffered a humiliating 5-0 series loss at the hand of the Indian team in the T20I format recently, making Team India the first team achieve such a feat. India won the fifth and final T20I at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui by 7 runs and whitewashed the Black Caps in their own backyard, to register their maiden T20I series victory.

KL Rahul was named the Player of the Series for his 224 runs and brilliant work behind the stumps, while Jasprit Bumrah got the Player of the Match for his amazing bowling figures of 3/12 and a super 19th over, which helped Shardul Thakur defend 21 runs in the final over. Meanwhile, former India batsman Ajay Jadeja was all praises for Manish Pandey, who surprised everyone in his new role as the finisher.

Style wahi hai khelne ka lekin inka horsepower kam hai, Ajay Jadeja on Manish Pandey

Ajay Jadeja and Zaheer Khan were analyzing the fifth T20I match for the Cricbuzz Live show. They were focusing on the valuable contributions made by Manish Pandey at no.6 spot. He had made a brilliant unbeaten fifty in the fourth match to guide India to a defendable total of 160 odd from a score of 88/6, which helped the bowlers put pressure on opposition bowlers.

Jadeja, well-known finisher himself in the 90s for India, compared Pandey to one of the greatest lower-order batsmen of all time and former India captain MS Dhoni. Dhoni is widely known as the greatest finisher ever to play the 50-over international format. He said that if Dhoni was Mercedes version’ of a finisher, Pandey is the ‘Alto-version’.

“18th over mein maine unko out hote hue bahut rare dekha hai. Agar Dhoni Mercedes version the, toh yeh Alto-version hain. Style wahi hai khelne ka lekin inka horsepower kam hai (I have hardly seen him get out from the 18th over. If Dhoni is the Mercedes-version, he is the Alto-version. He might not have the same horsepower, but has the same playing style like Dhoni),” he said.

Meanwhile, Zaheer Khan mentioned that Pandey understands the match situations really well. He is also very well aware of his own strengths and weaknesses as of now.

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