Harshal Patel pre-match press conference - IND vs SA, 4th T20 Rajkot

Video Courtesy: BCCI

Harshal Patel, Member, Indian Cricket Team, addressed a press conference at the Saurashtra Cricket Association stadium, Rajkot ahead of the 4th T20I against South Africa.

“The wicket was probably a bit slower than the usual although there was not a lot of variable bounce or lateral movement on the pitch but it was definitely slow so that allowed us to sort of just bowl hard lens and slow balls into the pitch and it was difficult to clear the boundary from those lens so wherever we go we assess the conditions and our plans are adapted to what we are what the conditions dictate so that's what we tried to do in the last game”

“I would certainly prefer to play on slower pitches because it allows you a little bit of a fighting chance but like if you consistently keep playing on pitches like Delhi it can it can you know hamper your confidence a little bit and also we have world class spinners in the in the team who can who can bowl well on any pitches on any pitch to be honest but it does bring them a little more into the game when we have slightly slower pitches and slightly bigger ground dimensions I haven't had a chance to look at the wicket yet now”

"I mean as long as people are trying to anticipate what I’m bowling they've been trying to do that for past two years and to be very honest with every bowler the longer they play the more the opposition will realize what the strengths are what the patterns are in the bowling and batting and try and adapt to it but as a bowler my job is to stay one step ahead of them and at the end of the day you can you can have 15 different plans but on a particular day in pressure situation if you don't go out and execute with confidence every everything doesn't really fall in place so my focus has always been how do I read the game better in that particular moment and how do I try and execute the best possibility possible delivery at that point of time”

“I can't worry about that because I can't bowl as fast as Umran it's plain and simple so I have to develop skills to render myself effective at the international level so my focus has always been I’ve never been expressed fast bowlers bowler although I can on a good day I can go near 140 but I’ve never been an express first bowler so my focus has always been to develop skills around my bowling and whatever limitations and advantages I have in my bowling and try and get wickets wherever I bowl and try and win games for the team because at the end of the day no matter how you do it winning the game for the team is ultimate cool”