Anshuman Gaekwad Wants Dhoni to Bat Higher Than Pandya

Oct 7, 2017 at 5:02 PM

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Anshuman Gaekwad Wants Dhoni to Bat Higher Than Pandya

Over the past few months, Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been cited as the next big thing of the Indian team, and his exploits with both and ball have made many cricketing pundits compare him with some of the stalwarts of the game. After playing only 48 international matches across formats, Pandya has already settled in the tea and has become a mainstay for Kohli especially in the limited overs format.

However former Indian coach Anshuman Gaekwad has warned the Indian team management to take care of Pandya as he doesn’t want the hard-hitting all-rounder to become the next Irfan Pathan of Indian cricket.

Pathan made a big impact on the international circuit as a bowler, but his promotion as a batsman up the order eventually led to his downfall. Though he performed well in patches, the pressure of batting higher up the order got the better of his bowling abilities, and he was eventually dropped from the side.

Pandya was sent at No.4 on a couple of occasions during the ODI series against Australia, and he didn’t disappoint, but despite his success, Gaekwad wants him to bat at No.6 or 7 behind former Indian captain MS Dhoni.

“Dhoni has to bat higher up the order, maybe number five. Pandya, at times, depending on the situation, can come up the order, but he should be used mostly as a number 6 or 7 batsman. I do not want him to become the next Irfan Pathan of the Indian team,” Gaekwad was quoted as saying by the International Business Times, India.

Gaekwad further explained that why he feels Dhoni should bat up the order as he is more suited coming up the order with his style of batting.

“Dhoni needs time to settle down at the batting crease. He is a great finisher. The partnership in the middle overs can revolve around him and Dhoni can score quick runs at the end. Pandya can play the attacking game straightaway,” he stated.

Pandya’s success in the last few months have made people compare him with the great Kapil Dev, but Gaekwad feels the comparison at this point isn’t right as Pandya has only played 48 international matches.

“Look at the number of matches Pandya has played so far and Kapil. There is no way you can compare the two. It is too early for all these comparisons being made as well,” added Gaekwad.

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