READ ALSO: NOTTINGHAM: From a cocky why-is-he-there cricketer, Hardik Pandya is suddenly at the centre of a lot of positive attention. The allrounder, who hardly looked threatening as a bowler in the first two Test matches, suddenly turned it around with a spell of 5-28 on Sunday afternoon at Trent Bridge Kapil Dev, way back in 1981, came up with the same figures against Australia in the Melbourne Test and India notched up one of their most famous come-from-behind wins. The Kapil Dev-Hardik Pandya comparison these days is one of the favourite topics of the Twitterati and when suddenly a piece of stat looks similar, there is a tendency to go on an overdrive.But Pandya, despite all his flashy ways that don't always go down well with critics, gave the impression on Sunday that he has hasn't lost perspective. When the Kapil comparison came up in the press conference, there was not an iota of disrespect in Pandya as he said: "I am no Kapil Dev , I never wanted to be one." It was just an effort to tone down the sense of expectation around him because probably he knows it's not possible to be a second Kapil Dev. "He is a legend, but let me be Hardik Pandya. I am good at what I am. I reached here till now, played 40 ODIs and 10 Tests being Hardik Pandya, not Kapil Dev…Let's stop comparing me with anyone, I will be happy if you don't," the Baroda allrounder said.While Pandya did his best to underplay the Kapil comparisons, he seemed to be more of his attacking self when there were queries about Michael Holding 's criticism about the justification of playing him as a bowling allrounder. "First of all, I don't play for them. They are getting paid for saying things which I don't even want to know or care about. I play for my country. I don't care what they say, it's their job to say and it's my job to play for my country. My team is happy with me, nothing else matters," Pandya came down hard on his critics.<doc-sep>Hardik Pandya’s performances left a lot to be desired in the first two Tests of the ongoing series against England. The 25-year-old scored 90 runs in four innings and took only three wickets in the first two matches. Scathing criticism was directed at Pandya for what he had dished up so far in the series. Michael Holding’s was particularly stinging, saying that Hardik is neither effective as a bowler nor a batsman. Even former Mumbai Indians teammate Harbhajan Singh had strong words to say. Posts on social media too had people telling Pandya what they thought of him and what he had done so far in the series. However, Pandya bounced back from those two below par outings and delivered in the 3rd Test at Trent Bridge. His most outstanding contribution came while bowling in England’s first innings. Having failed to pick up a wicket in four of his last five Tests, Hardik picked up five wickets in just six overs to break the back of hosts’ batting. ALSO READ: Learn from Virat Kohli, England assistant coach Paul Farbrace tells players As is the norm, Hardik Pandya’s name went on the honours board at Trent Bridge and the all-rounder certainly enjoyed the moment. In a video shared by Board of Control for Cricket in India, Hardik goes on to say that it’s a proud moment for him and thanks supporters for their support. The all-rounder followed it up with a quickfire fifty with the bat at a time when India were search of quick runs in their second innings. India will be hoping for more of the same from Hardik in the remaining two Tests of the series.<doc-sep>All-rounder Hardik Pandya said he owed a lot to Ishant Sharma for his sensational five-wicket haul in the Trent Bridge Test against England that has put the visitors in a position to win the game in a series where India are 0-2 down. Pandya reaped the rewards of maintaining a superb length to run through the batting line-up in seaming conditions on Sunday, to leave India in command. His 5/28 in just six overs saw England fold for 161 in 38.2 overs. “We were bowling the same lengths we did in the other games as well. We were getting enough swing, and situation was such that if they played a bad shot we will be up again. We had the cushion of runs under the belt as well,” he told a media conference after the day’s play. Ishant Sharma, the senior most member of the team playing his 86th Test, came on with England having reached 46/0 at lunch. He immediately hit a fuller length to get the ball swing and seam, triggering the batting collapse with two wickets. Pandya then took over. READ: Asian Games 2018: Ravi Kumar, Deepak Kumar enter Men’s 10m Air Rifle Finals “Big role, actually,” said when asked about his constant chats with Ishant during the spell. “He even told me to talk about it in the press conference,” he laughed. “Me and Ishant keep talking about the game, I would love to improve my game. “As a bowling unit we keep talking because the captain has a lot on his plate. So, as a bowling unit we need to step up and think in our way as well, how to make life difficult for the batsman. He was telling me ‘don’t go for the wickets; you have the talent. If you bowl in the right areas, you are going to get wickets.’ “The same thing I tell him, the same thing we tell the other bowlers -- keep it tight, let us see what they do. Let us test their patience, and see what they do. And we saw the result.” Pandya also impressed by the way he used the crease, going wide and closer to the stumps which kept the batsmen guessing. He surprised Chris Woakes with a short-pitched delivery which he nicked behind the stumps. “If you see the other two games, I did the same thing. Only, today I got wickets. I feel with my bowling style, it is important to do that. Otherwise, they will get used to it if I bowl the same length because I don’t get the ball to swing both ways that much. Out swing is my main ball; that is why I keep on using it. It makes it difficult for them to get it exactly where I am bowling.” READ: Never wanted to be Kapil Dev, says Hardik Pandya after Trent Bridge heroics The Baroda player has a five-wicket haul in first-class cricket as well, and rated the latest effort higher than his maiden Test century in Sri Lanka last year, in his debut series. “More than the 100, I am happier taking five wickets. This is the second time in my life, and I have also come to a very important place (England).” He said England’s batting unit was shaky, but India can’t afford to relax till they finish the job as the hosts had recovered from 130/5 at Lord’s to register an innings victory. “They have a few important players, if you get them they get into trouble. But cricket is a funny game. You saw at Lord’s also we were equal and all of a sudden Woakes came and scored a hundred, at No 7 I guess. All are capable, that is why they play for England. I always believe till we get all 11 (10), we should not relax. They have problems, but we would like to take them as many times as we get.”<doc-sep>
READ ALSO: 3rd Test: Hardik Pandya puts India in command Read this story in Gujarati NOTTINGHAM: Hardik Pandya doesn't enjoy being compared to Kapil Dev. The allrounder, who took 5-28, to put India in a winning position in the third Test against England at Trent Bridge , said: "I am not Kapil Dev , never wanted to be. I am happy being Hardik Pandya and please allow me to stay that way. I have a lot of respect for the legend that he is, but I want to be myself. "Michael Holding is among the many critics of India's decision to play Hardik as an allrounder. "Apparently they are playing Pandya as an allrounder to help out with the bowling. When he bowls he isn't as effective as he should be," Holding said during a recent interview.Till Sunday, the West Indian legend had every reason to say what he said. But during a one-hour spell at Trent Bridge, all that turned around.Coming in to bowl deep into the second session with a cloud cover around, Pandya was outstanding with his length as he ran through the England middle-order to give India a very good chance of a victory in the third Test.It was well-pitched up outswing bowling that did the job for the allrounder. He didn't try to bowl too fast, just kept it around the offtsump and invited the English batsmen to go for the drive. And the ball did just enough to find the nick time and again as India ran away to pole position.The rout started when Pandya had Joe Root caught at second slip off his first ball and then in a spell of three overs, he had 4-8 which decimated the English batting. "Pandya didn't try too much. He didn't try to hit the pitch too hard and just allowed the ball to do enough," Holding was prompt to appreciate Pandya's effort during commentary stint. But for the wicket of Chris Woakes , which came of a short ball, all his wickets were of well-pitched up deliveries that swung late.Pandya's performance on Sunday was a welcome turnaround after a bit of humiliation that he had to endure at Lord's. Pandya was playing that game as the third pace bowler and he was taken apart by the Woakes and Johnny Bairstow on the third afternoon.Later, during the press-conference, when he was asked whether he sees himself as a bowler or a batsman, Pandya bravely said: "I don't think on those lines. When I bowl, I am a bowler, when I bat, I am a batsman. "At that moment, he sounded cocky, but a week down the line, nobody was complaining.