England vs India 2018: India's major worries ahead of the Lord's test

4) The Role of Hardik Pandya in India's Test team

Batting all-rounder? Bowling all-rounder? or None of the Above?

When Hardik Pandya burst onto the scene, there was excitement that India may have finally found a genuine fast-bowling all-rounder. People talked of how he would bring an unprecedented balance to the team. Pandya made his international debut in 2016. The 'how' is yet to be answered.

Not that it is his fault, by the way. Despite early signs of his batting being superior to his bowling, the team management continued to persist with using him as a fifth bowler in limited-overs cricket and used his batting skills sparingly. This led to a remarkable improvement in his bowling over a period of time and he also made some useful contributions with the bat whenever given the opportunity.

Batting at no.7 and bowling his full quota of overs more often than not, he was clearly being developed into a bowling all-rounder for ODIs and T20s.

In 2017, he was selected in the Test team and this is where the debate regarding his role began to intensify. Virat Kohli mentioned in a press conference that he wants Pandya to develop into India's Ben Stokes.

Stokes bats at no.5 for England and is the fifth bowler of the team; he makes the team on his batting alone while his bowling acts as an add-on skill. Pandya was still perceived as a bowling all-rounder and so, batting in the top six would be too high for him.

But then, who is a bowling all-rounder? One who is among the four front-line bowlers of the team and adds value with the bat. Pandya didn't make it to this category either by virtue of being the fifth bowler of the team.

The question gained momentum during India's tour of South Africa this year where a counter-attacking 93 urged people to think why Pandya was batting down at no.7. When he bowled impressive spells, one thought that he is good enough to be one of four, instead of being one of five in the attack.

However, an important fact to note is the lack of consistency in these performances with both bat and ball. At this stage of his career, it is unreal to expect him to excel in both skills simultaneously, but he must specialize in one in order to avoid becoming the proverbial bits-and-pieces cricketer.

So, it is a decision the Indian team must make sooner rather than later. In the second innings of the Edgbaston Test, Pandya didn't bowl an over and batted at no.8. India must find a way to effectively utilize a multi-skilled cricketer like Pandya if they are to pick him in the side. If he is playing, he must either bat at no.6 or bowl more overs, otherwise, it is wiser to opt for a specialist in either department.