Fast-bowling all-rounders are a rare commodity, especially in Tests. Teams like South Africa, England and Australia are just lucky to have abundance of them; an area where India has struggled for the past so many years. In the 80s and 90s, Kapil Dev set the bar so high that no one has come close to his prowess till now. Then glimpses were shown by Irfan Pathan in the early 2000s, and then Hardik Pandya lately.
Hardik Pandya — The Genuine Fast-bowling All-rounder
The 31-year-old had played his last in 2018, before succumbing to a slew of back injuries. In 11 Tests he had 17 wickets, including a fifer against England at Trent Bridge, and even scored 532 runs at an average of 31, with a ton and four fifties. A fresh England tour is upon us, and a quality all-rounder is what Team India miss again.
In 4 Tests in England, he had 164 runs at an average of 23, with a fifty and also 10 wickets at an average of 24. So, had he been there, things would have been much more easier. But the real problem isn’t the unavailability of Pandya, but the absence of other options. Yes, India has selected Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shardul Thakur, but truth be told, they would find it tough to meet Pandya’s prowess.
Correct to Say Nitish Reddy & Shardul Thakur All-rounders?
Nitish had scored a ton in Australia and ended with 298 runs on the tour, with an average of 37, but his bowling was the issue, where he chipped in with five wickets in five matches and at economy of 4.31. On the other hand, Shardul, seems like is making a comeback into the Test team after years, only on the basis of his exploits in England, last time around.
In the 2021 series, he had picked up 10 wickets in 4 matches, at an average of 37, but went to score three fifties lower down the order — 173 runs in all, at an average of 24. Also, numbers is fine, but then these could can’t be trusted as genuine all-rounders. That also brings to the fore, the issue, that there isn’t quality players coming from the domestic circuit.
What Options Do We Have?
In fact, there isn’t one in the India A squad to England, just before the main tour, except for Nitish and Shardul. As for Harshit Rana, he does have a FC ton, but his technique totally stood exposed in Australia, where he scored 7 runs.
What are the future options then for India? Arshin Kulkarni plays for Maharashtra, and has scored 202 runs in 4 matches, at an average of 28. To add to that, he has picked up three wickets only. Punjab’s Krish Bhagat is talked about sometimes, but till now in 3 FC matches, has only scored 55 runs and picked up three wickets.
Gujarat’s Jaymeet Patel looks like a decent option. He has scored 661 runs in 9 matches, at an average of 50 and also picked up 10 wickets. Rest, we will have to wait, or continue to wait, until we find Hardik Pandya’s replacement.
Seven years after his last Test, India still haven’t found an ideal replacement for Hardik Pandya Inside Sport India.
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