Former India opener believes that Hardik Pandya would still bring lots of value to the test team if he gets fully fit but right now Shardul Thakur isn’t putting a foot wrong these days.
In the last test match at Johannesburg, Shardul Thakur delivered a record-breaking spell of 7/61 as it’s the best ever figures for India against South Africa, bettering the figures of Ashwin. However, Chopra feels that Hardik would bring more balance to the team because as a 5th bowler you don’t get more chance to bowl and Hardik provides more value with the bat as compared to Shardul Thakur.
Hardik Pandya scored a hundred and picked a fifer in his 11-Test career
“If you need a fourth fast bowler plus a proper batter, then Hardik Pandya will bring slightly more balance in this team, that is what I believe because the fourth fast bowler you play as one of the five, then his role as a batter is slightly more as compared to him being a bowler,” Chopra said in his Youtube Channel.
However, Chopra is not sure if Pandya can make a comeback in the longest form with his struggling back. Chopra stated if Hardik gets fit, there is no one who can match his ability. But he lauded the efforts of Shardul Thakur for the past year.
“Never say never. Honestly speaking, Hardik has himself said that he doesn’t want to play, considering the state of his back. To be very honest, if Hardik’s back issue continues to ail him and he doesn’t bowl, then it is very very tough. “But if he recovers fully, he becomes bowling fit and can bowl the long spells, then Hardik is Hardik,” Chopra said.
“So in my opinion, if Hardik remains fit, bowls well and has the ability he has with the bat, he will be slightly ahead of Shardul. But till he is not fit, Shardul is destroying everyone,” he said.
In his 11-Test career, Hardik Pandya scored 532 runs in 18 innings with an average of 31.29 with a hundred and 4 fifties, and with the ball, he picked 17 wickets with an average of 31.05 which included a match-winning fifer at Nottingham in 2018. Though he hasn’t played a Test match since September 2018.
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