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Hardik Pandya's maiden hundred should prompt the team management to use him more extensively in Tests More
Virat Kohli made a gutsy statement about Hardik Pandya at the press conference after the first Test at Galle. “I have a lot of faith in him (Hardik) as far as any format is concerned. If he grows in confidence – you see someone like Ben Stokes, what he does for England, brings in great balance as an all-rounder. I see no reason why Hardik Pandya can’t become that for India,” he said.
The reason it is a gutsy statement is because Hardik has completed just two Tests with relatively very little to do with bat and bowl. Although he has cracked a century in the ongoing third Test, it is still early days in his Test career.
The key words here are “if he grows in confidence”. In order to do that, he should be given more opportunities to showcase his talent both with bat and bowl. Coach Shastri and captain Kohli will need to think intelligently about how the promising youngster gains experience as an all-rounder so can he can be close to Stokes’ caliber.
Potential to make it big
Hardik has already proved his potential in limited overs cricket and he has the potential to do it in Tests More
The lanky lad from Baroda first came into limelight when Mumbai Indians picked him up in 2015. He has had a few ups and downs already in the IPL and he came out of it strongly. IPL 2017 was the most successful season for Hardik and the one that helped him break into the limited overs squad for India.
Since making his ODI debut in October last year, the Baroda all-rounder has continued to impress one and all. He seems to have gained a few yards in his pace and his batting continues to improve. The innings against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final is a testament to his explosive skills.
So it was only a matter of time before he was selected into the Test squad. During the fag end of Dhoni’s Test captaincy, it was becoming clear that the Test team desperately needed a genuine all-rounder. India successfully promoted Ashwin up the batting order, but the lack of a seam bowling all-rounder option was clearly visible in the Test team.
The team management did well to zero in on Pandya at the early stage and include him into the Test team.
Early Debut in Tests
Hardik had just 19 first-class games under his belt before making his Test debut in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka. It meant that the young all-rounder did not come in with a lot of experience of playing in the longer version of the game. It also means that he will gain a hands-on experience while playing Test cricket.
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