India's fielding coach R Sridhar revealed Hardik Pandya was desperate to perform after returning from suspension owing to his participation in Koffee With Karan.

India's fielding coach R Sridhar revealed Hardik Pandya was desperate to perform after returning from suspension owing to his participation in Koffee With Karan.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference before the 4th ODI in Hamilton, Sridhar said Pandya has an important role in the team. The all-rounder pulled off a sensational catch, and also claimed two wickets in the third ODI.

"No one was more keen than Hardik Pandya to play that game," Sridhar said at the presser on Wednesday. "He's been working very hard during the time he got back home and the kind of energy he brought into the team, the desperation he brought was magnificent to see. He's always been a good fielder. He was just dying to get into the thick of things and be a part of this and get back to what he loves doing, that is to play cricket and play it best he can,” Sridhar said.

Sridhar also added that with the series in the bag, the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Khaleel Ahmed, Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj are likely to get a go in the remaining games.

"See, winning is a habit which we would obviously want to continue. When you're one-up or three-up against a team, you want to continue with the form; you want to don't want to let down the intensity. At the same time, we also need to give game-time to our reserves. There's just seven games remaining for us before we play our first World Cup game. We should not end up in a situation where the main eleven has played and the reserves have not got enough game time, and then suddenly they have to play an important crucial game in the World Cup," Sridhar added.

The 4th ODI will also be Rohit Sharma’s 200th ODI game.

--By A Cricket Correspondent