Hardik Pandya’s Bowling Dilemma Faced By Indian Team Management To Select Him As A Finisher Or As An All-Rounder In Playing 11

Oct 29, 2021 at 5:32 PM

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Hardik Pandya’s Bowling Dilemma Faced By Indian Team Management To Select Him As A Finisher Or As An All-Rounder In Playing 11

Hardik Pandya hasn’t bowled during the last two Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons in 2020 and 2021 due to a back injury that required major surgery. In between, he enjoyed a great white-ball tour of Australia and bowled well in all the five T20Is against England. He also bowled sporadically during India’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. As a result, the Indian team has decided to play him as a specialist batsman at No. 7.

But in the first game against Pakistan, batting behind Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya struggled to score 11 off eight balls and sustained a shoulder injury besides not bowling in the lost cause to Pakistan. But, in the latest twist to his tale, he seems to have regained fitness and bowled and batted at a practice session in Dubai on Wednesday on the NZ game eve.

Hardik Pandya Bowling
Hardik Pandya Bowling(Photo Source: Getty Images)

MS Dhoni vouched For Hardik Pandya’s Finishing Skills

Chief selector Chetan Sharma first picked him as an allrounder, stressing that Hardik Pandya would be required to bowl his four overs. Later, when he continued to not bowl in the IPL, captain Virat Kohli was dubbed as a No. 6 specialist. While Hardik Pandya was in terrific form in IPL 2020, this season, his form plummeted: Hardik Pandya was woefully out of touch, managing to score just 127 runs in 12 games averaging a mere 14.11.

“The truth is that the selectors wanted to send him back to India after he didn’t bowl in the IPL, but MS Dhoni (appointed Team India mentor) vouched for his finishing skills,” a source said.

Hardik Pandya AFP/Getty Images
Hardik Pandya AFP/Getty Images

If he pulls off a match-winning knock against New Zealand on Sunday in India’s second group game, Hardik Pandya, ‘the finisher’, will vindicate MS Dhoni’s faith in his abilities. A failure, though, will make a strong case for the likes of Shardul Thakur (in the main team), Deepak Chahar (in reserves), and KKR all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer to replace him. All three have emerged as decent all-around options.

Sandeep Patil: India Playing An Unfit Hardik Pandya

Two former India chief selectors had differing perspectives on the Hardik Pandya issue. Former India skipper and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar felt that “all the decision-makers in this case, the captain, coach, physio and the selectors, would have assessed the situation regarding Hardik Pandya”. However, another former player and selector, Sandeep Patil, said he would have wanted the Chetan Sharma-led national selection committee to be more accountable on the issue.

“His selection in the XI is up to the captain and the coach, and only the BCCI will know about it. But basically, if a player is not fit, then it comes to the selectors. If he didn’t bowl in the entire IPL, the selectors should have taken a call. They should have asked for a fitness test before including him in the team for the World Cup,” Patil said.

“As per ICC rules, he could have been replaced if he was unfit. My question regarding Hardik is not only to the captain and the coach but to the selectors. The fitness aspect is handled by the selectors and the team physio. From my experience as a selector, the BCCI secretary hands over a list of players who are fit and available.”

Sandeep Patil
Sandeep Patil- IANS photo

“Someone has to be accountable. There’s no comment from (India coach) Ravi Shastri. How can you say he’s fit, if he became unfit during the match? I mean, this is the World Cup, not just any series or match,” Patil added.

“The guy hasn’t bowled a single ball in the IPL, and you suddenly expose him in the World Cup? And what are you playing him as? He was sent behind Jadeja. So there really is a big question mark around Pandya. “

“The whole mystery around his fitness has been going on for the last six months. You’re now saying that he has a shoulder injury. In the bargain, you aren’t giving a chance to a fit guy. You’re playing an unfit guy who isn’t useful to the team. Because of him, you’re neglecting other fit guys who have been performing well.”

“Is he so important that he will single-handedly win you a game for your team? In the earlier days, we’ve played half-fit guys, and we were lucky (that it worked) too. However, these days are gone. There’s so much focus on fitness. Over the last one year, Pandya hasn’t performed (well) as an allrounder. One year is a good period for those who matter to judge a player,” said Patil.

Former India pacer and current Mumbai chief selector Salil Ankola said, “If Pandya is not bowling, there’s no way he fits into the side. Anyone who knows even a little bit of cricket will pick Shardul over Pandya right now. How much does Shardul have to prove himself now? He’s proved himself whenever he’s been given an opportunity.”
“If you want an allrounder at No. 6, Shardul is your man. He will find a place on any side of the world right now. However, if you want a batter at that spot, Shreyas Iyer, who has, like Shardul, proved himself too, deserves a chance,” says Ankola.
The team management is unlikely to play all-rounder Hardik Pandya as a pure batsman if he doesn’t get fit enough to bowl at least a couple of over every game in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021. The team management is keeping a close eye on Shardul Thakur, who replaced Axar Patel in the main squad ahead of the tournament. Shardul Thakur is tipped to be Hardik Pandya’s replacement if the latter fails to make the cut.
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