Former Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra believes that Hardik Pandya needs to start bowling regularly to provide balance to the Indian cricket team, as they build-up to the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 to be held in the UAE and Oman later this year.
The all-rounder has been bowling a few overs in the limited-overs cricket but has not been doing so regularly due to a dodgy back, which he also underwent surgery in 2020. He has not bowled much in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2020 and 2021 due to a back injury.
The 27-year-old is currently part of the Indian squad for the limited-overs series in Sri Lanka starting on July 13 and it would be interesting to see whether the skipper Shikhar Dhawan utilizes him with the ball, as he had mentioned that he would return to bowling sooner rather than later.
Well, Pandya not being able to bowl has disturbed the Indian team combinations and Chopra feels the sooner the all-rounder starts bowling, the team balance and composition will get right and look even stronger, as he will give the side a lot of options and depth across the formats.
Chopra said in a video shared on his YouTube channel: “He will have to start bowling now. He bowled a few overs in Australia, then you played against England and in the IPL. You didn’t bowl for your team in the IPL as well. It’s been a very patchy kind of ride.”
He further explained, “You were looking at him for Test cricket but he is not available for you there as well because he is not bowling. When you look at it from that vantage point, there is only one player like Hardik Pandya, he provides balance. Hardik Pandya as a fast-bowling all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja as a spinning all-rounder, and Washington Sundar with them, it becomes a superb team.”
The former opener suggested that Pandya should bowl 7 to 8 overs in ODIs and look to complete his quota in the T20 cricket to help his team get the right team balance ahead of T20 World Cup.
He signed off by saying, “Six to eight (overs) and bowls his full quota in T20s, full overs in the IPL and then definitely in the World Cup because Hardik Pandya bowling makes it easier for India to get the right balance.”
