“If Hardik Pandya gives you 5-6 overs with the new ball, you can squeeze in Axar Patel” - Wasim Jaffer

Former batter Wasim Jaffer expressed surprise over the fact that Hardik Pandya bowled only three overs in the first ODI against West Indies in Barbados on Thursday.

According to Jaffer, the all-rounder should have bowled at least five to six overs. He opined that if Pandya can bowl more overs with the new ball, Axar Patel can then feature in the playing XI, which will strengthen the team further.

Pandya opened the bowling in the first one-dayer and got the wicket of Kyle Mayers (2). However, he bowled only three overs, finishing with figures of 1/17. Spinners Kuldeep Yadav (4/6) and Ravindra Jadeja (3/37) then dominated proceedings as West Indies were skittled out for 114 in 23 overs.

While India’s bowlers were all over the Windies in the first ODI, Jaffer reckons that Rohit Sharma missed a trick by not giving more overs to Pandya, which could have tested the all-rounder’s bowling fitness.

He said on ESPNcricinfo:

“I was little surprised that he [Pandya] only bowled three overs. I would have liked him to bowl five or six overs. I thought he bowled well, only the one over was a little expensive. I was a little surprised that he was taken off. Shardul [Thakur] is not known to bowl with the new ball. Umran Malik’s control with the new ball [is not there] because he is not a consistent ODI player.”

On why Pandya bowling more overs is crucial, Jaffer explained that it brings left-arm spinner Axar into the picture.

The former batter elaborated:

“If Pandya is bowling 5-6 over spells, then you can have Axar in the team. If the pitch is spinning, then Axar can come into the side and obviously your batting gets strengthened. Looking at the larger picture, Axar Patel, I see him playing. If he gets more game time under the belt, the pitches are going to spin… So if Hardik Pandya gives you 5-6 overs with the new ball, you can squeeze in Axar Patel.”

India went into the first ODI in Barbados with Jadeja and Kuldeep as their spinners, leaving out Axar and Yuzvendra Chahal.

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“Would have loved to see him finish the game” - Jaffer on Ishan Kishan

After bowling out West Indies for 114, India experimented with their batting and opened with Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill. While the latter was dismissed cheaply, Kishan went on to score 52 before throwing away his wicket.

Jaffer was pleased with Kishan’s batting, but stated that he would have been happier had the keeper-batter finished the game.

The 45-year-old said:

“I think he played well, getting a fifty in a little bit of challenging conditions. With the new ball, it was a bit of a challenge. I thought their [West Indies] spinners bowled decently. He played well, took them on as and when the opportunity came. But I would have loved to see him finish the game and get a 70-odd not out.”

Kishan smashed seven fours and a six in his knock before being caught at deep midwicket off Gudakesh Motie’s bowling.