Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes that Krunal Pandya deserved his chance to play in the first ODI against England as he explained why the all-rounder was preferred ahead of Akshar Patel in the opening game of the ongoing three-match ODI series on Tuesday (March 23).
The 30-year-old had a dream ODI debut for Team India, displaying his all-round efforts against England in Pune to justify his selection ahead of another all-rounder Akshar, who was the 2nd-highest wicket-taker in the four-match Test series earlier this month at home.
The left-hander had a record-breaking outing with the bat (58* off 31 balls), hitting the fastest fifty by a debutant in ODI cricket history with his 26-ball, and then picked one wicket to help India beat England by 66 runs in the first ODI and take a 1-0 lead in the ongoing three-match series in Pune.
The former coach also pointed out that the Indian cricket team has a factory of options available presently while hailing IPL and India’s domestic cricket as the great foundation for the national side.
Bangar said on Star Sports' show Cricket Connected: “India, with the depth of talent they have at the moment, it’s just a factory, the structure is so good. The IPL leaves a great foundation; the first-class set-up is absolutely fantastic. We have the quantity and we have the quality, so there are so many choices and at times, you feel envious of the amount of talent the team possesses the bench strength.”
On Krunal's selection ahead of Akshar, the former coach said: “Krunal Pandya richly deserves for his Vijay Hazare performances, having scored two 100s and picked up wickets and has got a chance. If Axar is good for a T20I and Test matches, then he should be good enough for 10-over or ODI cricket as well.”
He signed off, “I believe continuity is critical to any player’s confidence. If a player looks to get those opportunities on a regular basis, then he is settled when it comes to a crunch game and that one aspect has to be looked into. Apart from that, India has a plethora of options available with them.”
