Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra doesn’t see Hardik Pandya consistently bowling 10 overs in the 50-over format. Pandya’s workload has been managed with guile by the team management and he has hardly bowled his complete quota of 10 overs in the ODI form in the recent past.
Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya took the new ball in the first ODI against the West Indies at Barbados on Thursday and also got the early wicket of Kyle Mayers after Rohit Sharma decided to bowl first.
Pandya has thus far scalped 73 wickets in 75 ODI matches and he adds balance to the team as a seam-bowling all-rounder. Chopra feels Pandya is not going to bowl his allotted 10 overs in every ODI match.
Aakash Chopra said on JioCinema, “I am viewing him as someone who can give you five to six overs and not consistently giving you ten overs. Well, we will also find out in the three ODIs whether he is actually bowling and if he is bowling, how many overs Rohit Sharma is giving him responsibility to bowl.”
Tamil Nadu batter Abhinav Mukund concurred with Chopra and said, “If you get even five or six overs from him then you are getting the job done out of him. We have got five bowlers already in contention. If Jadeja is playing and Hardik Pandya is playing, there are two genuine all-rounders. We shouldn’t think as Hardik Pandya being a front line ten over bowling option.”
On the other hand, former Indian wicket-keeper bat Saba Karim added Pandya brings balance if he can contribute with the ball.
“If even he can bowl five to six overs that will be very handy for the Indian side because Hardik in the playing eleven brings the right kind of balance. He is a terrific performer with the willow, coming in at number five- six. He can also bat as a floater plus if she can chip in with those 4-5 overs of incisive pace bowling, that will be very important for India’s success.”
There is no doubt Hardik Pandya is going to hold the key for the Indian team in the ODI World Cup as an all-rounder. Pandya will aim to deliver his best in the three-match ODI series against the Windies.
