Hardik Pandya playing as an all-rounder augurs well for the Indian team as it adds more balance to the team.
Pandya had played the limited-overs series against Australia as a pure batsman but returned to the side as an all-rounder in the T20I series against England. The right-arm fast-medium was able to deliver the goods with the ball in the recently concluded series, which the hosts won by 3-2.
Pandya’s best bowling performance of the series came in the fourth T20I when he scalped two wickets and conceded only 16 runs in his four overs. In fact, Pandya also bowled with the new ball and bowled accurately in the death overs.
Pandya made great use of the slower ball and mostly rolled over his fingers to bamboozle the England batsmen. Furthermore, Pandya also accounted for England skipper Eoin Morgan in the final game.
On the other hand, Pandya was able to add the finishing touches with the bat in the final T20I as he scored a blistering knock of 39 runs off just 17 balls with the help of four fours and two sixes.
Pandya’s role as a bowler was crucial in the absence of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who is on the sidelines due to a thumb injury.
Hardik Pandya said in the post-match presentation, “I have been working on fine-tuning my action, but at the end of the day you are thinking of what kind of delivery you want to bowl, It’s slightly difficult but I am coping really well. When I bat I think as a batsman and when I bowl I think as a bowler. Looking at the World Cup, in this series we wanted to try out a few things and also to break the jinx of batting first and winning, feels really great. The wicket allowed us to use more variations and make sure that the batsmen are not getting anything in their zone”.
Hardik Pandya plays a crucial role in the limited-overs format and it is a great positive for the team that he is bowling at full throttle after making few changes to his bowling action.
Pandya can also provide quick runs while batting down the order and he is going to play a pivotal role in the T20 World Cup. The first ODI between India and England will take place at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on 23rd March behind closed doors.
