Indian cricket has always lacked good seam bowling all-rounders, so much so that an oasis in a desert would be an easier task than finding a quality all-rounder who can bowl with pace. In a country with such a long cricketing history, it is a bit of an embarrassment that it has produced only Kapil Dev as a prominent name in the department of fast bowling all-rounders.
Indian selectors have given multiple chances to various seam bowling all-rounders in the recent years but nobody has performed to the required level.
Hardik Pandya is India’s latest fast-bowling all-rounder to catch the eye of the selectors and he seems to be different from others. Firstly, he has got the pace clocking speeds of above 135kph and his clean striking abilities with the bat are an added bonus.
He is somebody who can be an important cog in the Indian team in the future and this is why he must be nurtured by Indian cricket.
So let’s look at the five biggest reasons why Hardik Pandya must be nurtured:
#1 Pandya can be the finisher that India needs
MS Dhoni is in the twilight of his career and apart from him, India don’t have a recognised finisher in their ranks. Suresh Raina, who was the heir to Dhoni’s position, has been extremely inconsistent over the last year. Pandya has got all the abilities to become the finisher that India sorely needs.
He has got clean striking abilities and he is a brilliant runner between the wickets. His aggression with the bat is ideally suited for the number seven position where he can score some quick runs.
Even in the 2nd ODI against New Zealand in the current series – even though he didn’t complete his task successfully – his calmness at the crease and the way he batted with a tail-ender was admirable. Young and flamboyant, he can be a long-term solution to the finisher’s problem that India is currently facing.
#2 Solve India’s Test match problems
The Indian Test side is in the pink of its health and they should only consolidate their position at the top of the table with many home matches lined up in the future. Ashwin has become a genuine all-rounder in Tests lately, but in foreign conditions, India have always been found wanting because of the absence of an all-rounder who can bowl with pace.
Pandya can be the ideal candidate to solve this problem.
Though the Baroda all-rounder looks a little out of sorts for a Test match player, with proper grooming he can become a quality all-rounder in this format as well. He has got the pace and the swing to trouble batsmen in Test cricket and if he can work on his batting temperament, then he can surely be an asset to the Indian side in this format.
With Ashwin batting at seven and him batting at eight, India can be a force to reckon with in Test matches even in foreign conditions. It is extremely crucial for India to look at Hardik Pandya not only as a limited overs specialist but also as a player for the longest format.
#3 Next major ODI tournaments are in England
The Champions trophy next year and the ODI World Cup in 2019 are in England and, India would desperately need Hardik Pandya in those conditions. English conditions have always rewarded swing bowlers and Pandya can be an extremely useful addition to the Indian team with his handy bowling and hard hitting abilities that can clear any ground in the world.
Another advantage of playing Pandya in the team is that India can afford to play 2 spinners on slightly slower surfaces and on bouncier tracks, they can afford to play with three specialist fast bowlers along with him.
A seam bowling all-rounder like Pandya will provide the ideal balance to the side and this will be a great boost to India’s chances to win in England. India needs to make sure that Pandya is fit and more mature by the time they take part in those tournaments.
#4 He is a complete package for T20 cricket
Pandya has got everything that one looks for in T20 cricket – a hard hitter of the ball, a bowler with pace and swing and an athletic fielder. Who can forget his exploits with the Mumbai Indians that made him an overnight star and then his impressive performances with the Indian team in the T20 World Cup this year?
His energy on the field combined with his abilities both with the bat and the ball make him an extremely valuable player for the shortest form of the game.
With Pandya in the side, India can afford to play an extra seam bowler who can hit the right lengths in the death overs, an area which India has struggled since a long time. Pandya’s all-round capabilities are ideally suited for T20’s and India is blessed to have a player like him in their ranks.
The all-rounder will become an extremely valuable player for the team as he possesses the skills which are rarely found in Indian cricketers. India should make sure that he doesn’t fade away like many others have in the past.
#5 Solve India’s new ball problem in ODIs
India has always struggled to find quality new ball bowlers in ODIs. India’s opening bowlers have either leaked too many runs at the start or struggled to pick up early wickets which can build pressure at the start of the innings. With opposition getting the momentum early in the innings, even the spinners become less venomous resulting in an overall poor bowling performance.
Pandya has been extremely impressive with the new ball in the current ODI series against the Kiwis. He has bowled with a lot of pace and has also succeeded in swinging the ball.
The change with his bowling has been his improved control with the ball and now looks an improved version of his earlier self. If India can allow Pandya a longer rope as a new ball bowler then he surely has the ability to solve India’s problem with the new ball.
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