There has been an interesting series of events in the career of Hardik Pandya recently. Having some injury trouble, Hardik ‘the all-rounder’ has turned out to be a more dependable player in the national squad since he made a more serious effort at fulfilling his role as a bowler. Especially in T20s, Hardik has indeed been more consistent with his bowling of late, which has made him indispensable to the team’s balance. Indian pace great Zaheer Khan, underpinning Hardik’s importance as a seamer, also feels that the all-rounder has realized how crucial it is to be an effective bowler himself.
Hardik is part of India’s squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, in which his role as an all-rounder will be central to India’s hopes of lifting the cup. While it remains to be seen whether Hardik will be able to bowl ten effective overs in a match, Zaheer was simply glad to see the all-rounder take to pacer duties like a duck to water.
We have been emphasizing whether Hardik is a bowler or not makes a huge difference in the balance of the team. He has been reluctant to bowl for a long time. He is coming back from his own injuries, especially back niggles, because he has been apprehensive about putting himself in a position to serve the team better with the ball. But slowly and surely, he is learning that it is a really big responsibility that he has to take for the team. And it’s very important,” Zak said in a conversation on Cricbuzz.
“These statistics support that idea, and I have no doubt that he started realizing, as time passed, important Hardik for a bowler. His preparation for a series is a perfect example of that. Acceptance of that fact is a good sign. Look, we have around 3 to 4 spinners in the side. They know what Hardik is and trust him to do the job,” added Zak.