Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Sunday rattled England’s batting line-up by taking five wickets in the third Test match at the Trent Bridge, Nottingham. Speaking to media after the match, Hardik Pandya urged people to stop comparing him with Indian legend Kapil Dev.

Pandya said the comparisons are unwarranted and that he should be left alone to perform on the basis of his capabilities. On the second day of the third Test match, Pandya finished with his career-best figures of 5-28 as England were bowled out for 161 in reply to India’s 329.

On the second day, India were batting at 124-2 at the stumps taking an overall 292-run lead.

“Comparisons are fine. But the problem with this (comparison) is that all of a sudden when something goes wrong and they are like he is not that. I have never wanted to be Kapil Dev. Let me be Hardik Pandya. I am good at being Hardik Pandya, and I have reached here till now played 40 ODIs and 10 Tests being Hardik Pandya, not Kapil Dev,” Hardik Pandya said, adding, “They have created their era, let me be Hardik Pandya. Let’s stop comparing me with anyone. I will be happy if you don’t.”

Taking a dig at his critics, Hardik Pandya also said he does not play for them.

“I don’t play for them (critics). They are getting paid for saying things which I don’t even want to know or care. I play for my country. I am doing the right thing. My team is happy with me, nothing else matters,” Hardik Pandya said.

Speaking about his bowling in the previous two Test matches, Pandya said, nothing had changed from the last two matches. “We were bowling the same length that we were bowling in the other games as well. It’s just that we were getting enough swing and obviously the situation was such if they played a bad shot it would be India on the up again. So we had the cushion of having runs under the belt,” Pandya said.

“If you see the other two games I have done the same thing (bring variations in wrist and grip position). It’s just that today I got the wickets, that’s it. I feel that with my bowling style it is important to it because they will get used to it if I come and bowl with the same length.”

“I don’t swing both ways that much, and my outswing is my main ball so that’s why I keep on using. It makes difficult for them to get it exactly where I am bowling,” Pandya added.