The team India have been struggling in whites. Virat Kohli and his men have now lost the first two Test matches, and one more slip will ensure a series win for England. The inclusion of all-rounder Hardik Pandya hasn’t helped matters at all. Pandya struggled to put up runs and has been ineffective with the ball as well.
Holding questions Hardik Pandya’s credentials
Former legendary pacer, Michael Holding feels Pandya hasn’t reached that level yet is not yet ready to represent India in Tests.
He said Pandya isn’t a useful batsman and fails to control the movement of the ball. He feels India have been using him instead of two skilled cricketers.
“The [Indian] attack has not been the right balance,” Holding told ESPNcricinfo. “Apparently they are playing Hardik Pandya as an allrounder to help out with the bowling. When he bowls, he isn’t as effective as he should be. If he was a good batsman, if he was getting runs – 60s, 70s, not even regular hundreds – at the number at which he bats and then he bowls and gets two or three wickets, happy, hallelujah. Happy with that. But he is not getting the amount of runs that can then allow him to get a wicket or two in the Test match. That doesn’t work.”
India under the mat
Hardik Pandya had an impressive Test debut against Sri Lanka. He scored a fifty in that game and followed it up with his maiden Test hundred.
He has scored 458 runs so far at an average of 32.71 while with the ball, the flamboyant cricketer has picked just ten wickets at an average of 39.30.
The all-rounder went wicketless in the Edgbaston Test but picked three at Lord’s. He is also the second highest run-getter in the series followed by R. Ashwin. It tells you the horror run that India is having currently in England.