Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant will be batting mostly at number 4 and 5 in white-ball format: Sanjay Manjrekar

New Delhi, July 19: Lauding Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya for their match-winning performance against England in the third ODI, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar claimed he was floored by their sheer talent and temperament in the tricky run chase. The former batter also claimed the duo is going to permanently bat at numbers 4 and 5 in the limited-overs format for India in the coming days.

While speaking exclusively on SPORTS18's daily sports news show 'SPORTS OVER THE TOP', Manjrekar spoke highly of Pandya-Pant's heroics and the future of the Indian middle batting order.

"Yes, just hoping that Hardik can keep his fitness together. No issues about Rishabh Pant. What we saw in that last one day, I was completely floored by the sheer talent and ability of these two guys, temperament as well built a long partnership, and how easily, in the end, India won. Thanks to Rishabh Pant for staying there till the end. So yes, high-quality batters, and they're going to be batting mostly at number 4 and 5 whether it's T20 Cricket or 50 overs cricket, or Pant could be opening as well. In 2019, we had a lot of issues finding a proper middle order but now we have some quality supply," said the 57-year-old.

Manjrekar also praised Pant's evolving character and temperament as a batsman and said, "No, he's always responsible. He may seem irresponsible sometimes when he gets out, when he gets out playing one of those kinds of shots, we've got to look at it as somebody getting out at slips because the game has changed and that is Rishabh Pant's primary sort of skill. He's got to sound different but when he extends himself, he tries these shots. The winning runs, for example, it's a part of his basic attacking, and the array of shots that he has. So, responsibility wise I think this guy is just incredible because of the kind of record he has in test cricket. You can't play those kinds of shots if you are not responsible by nature, wanting to win the game and in this one day as well you could see him. He was responsibility personified; he was calmness personified. I got very excited watching Rishabh Pant because there's something about this country, that we keep producing these kinds of batters every generation."

Manjrekar also explained how Hardik Pandya has diversified as more than a hard-hitting batsman and looks like a completely changed person after being appointed the captain of the Gujarat Titans franchise in the IPL 2022. Pandya - who guided the Ahmedabad-based franchise to the IPL title in their debut season - was named the player of the series for his all-round show in the just concluded three-ODI series.

"Absolutely, Hardik Pandya is a completely changed guy. It was a wildcard that the franchise played. First of all, picking him as one of their first players, before that his fitness was a problem, and his batting was an issue for the earlier franchise. Not only did they pick him, and back him as one of their marquee players they gave him the captaincy. Just the way the league turned out for him. Hardik Pandya is a changed man now, there's a lot of maturity, responsibility, and ambition as well. I see a sense of ambition coming into him. And once you have that, wanting to grow within Indian Cricket then there's tremendous motivation. He's also addressing himself in the third person now. Hardik Pandya has arrived," the Mumbaikar signed off.