This is turning out to be Hardik Pandya’s season. A triumph in the Indian Premier League (IPL), an impressive comeback to the Indian team, and therein including elevation to vice-captain, this is a different time for him.
A few years ago, Pandya seemed lost. Mired in controversy and then injuries took his toll, as he fought to keep his fragile body up to the rigours of both franchise and international cricket. The cricketer he is today is particularly down to that rough journey of the past two seasons.
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There is no longer a question over his bowling fitness. Maturity reflects to a higher standard in his batting. Combine the two and India have an ace all-rounder up their sleeve. Forget Test cricket, or even ODIs for the moment, there is a World Cup coming in less than two months. A T20 sojourn beckons Pandya, and we are all along for the ride.
“We only needed seven runs off the last over, but if we had needed 15, I would have backed myself." On occasion, his words might border on arrogance. On this night, it was all about self-belief. It reflected in Pandya’s sly smile as Ravindra Jadeja was out bowled off the first delivery (20th over). Dinesh Karthik then did the needful and Pandya put on the finishing touch in style, (well) of course!
Pandya’s 33* came off 17 balls. At one point, he had 14* off 10 balls. You can see the berserk acceleration herein – 19 off seven deliveries, a strike-rate of 271. You might see it as a marker to the belief of finishing the game single-handedly, but also the mental growth he experienced leading Gujarat Titans. He was their batting pivot, and captain, and scripted a handful jailbreak moments in the IPL.
The best bit? We are getting the same Pandya in Indian colours, and not a watered down version thanks to international demands. It isn’t easy to find that balance – just ask KL Rahul who disappointed again on the big stage. Pandya’s confidence is blasting so high, that he is excelling in support roles with both bat and ball. For, this is Hardik’s moment, his season, and if it converts into his year, India will be smiling come November.
Even so, Pandya’s handiwork in Dubai was crafted despite fleeting changes brought forth by the team management. A stunning win for India began with an equally surprising turn of events – Rishabh Pant dropped and instead, Dinesh Karthik was picked ahead of him.
World cricket sat aghast in unison, for no one really saw this coming. And how could anyone? In any full-strength iteration of team India, Karthik didn’t find a spot in the playing eleven for India are currently banked on all three (Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Rahul), and must play both Pandya-Jadeja, along with four full-time bowlers. And yet, there was DK, keeping wickets and playing as the typecast finisher at number seven – surprisingly, shockingly even, ahead of Pant.
In terms of T20 roles, it has been a roller-coaster year for Pant. He has batted at number four and five in T20Is, then five and four, and then four and five again, whilst leading India against South Africa. He even opened the innings against England and now sat relegated to the bench on Sunday. How did it come to this for Pant? Is this a firm roadmap for India’s plans in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup? Or, is this still part of the experimentation process?
Let’s talk about Pant’s lost spot first. Since January, in 11 innings batting at number four or five, he has scored 233 runs at 135.46 SR. Get in deeper though – across these innings, when Pant faced 10-plus deliveries, his strike-rate rose to 143. This past IPL season, he scored 340 runs in 14 innings at 151.79. Pant wasn’t able to garner a lot of runs for Delhi Capitals this time, but he scored at a much faster pace. This, though, hasn’t carried over to the international arena. In fact, against South Africa, whilst leading the side, Pant scored 58 in five games at a paltry 105.45 (SR).
In the two innings he opened against England, Pant smacked 26 off 15 in one game. In part it proved the idea to the team management that a middle-order batsman could back up as an extra opener (hence the experimentation with Suryakumar Yadav and Deepak Hooda), and yet still begs the question. What about Pant? Can India’s big future hope just be side-lined like this?
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Turns out, he can be, as Rohit deemed this experimentation in the build-up to the Pakistan game. The think-tank is so invested in ‘DK as finisher’ idea that it is justifiable, more so now that Pakistan has been beaten. While it primarily allows India to field its senior top-order trio, more importantly, it allows an elongated finishing line-up – Jadeja at number four, SKY at five, Pandya at six and DK at seven. On paper, that’s an excellent power-hitting finishing line-up.
However, it presents one quandary. From top to bottom, there is no left-handed batter except Jadeja and that was a primary reason for his promotion against Pakistan. Did it work? Yes, in a way, for Jadeja is a proper batsman in his current career phase. He can counter, bide for time and hit big too, as he showcased it with a match-winning contribution of 35 off 29 balls. Is this enough?
Well, if Jadeja had experienced a good IPL season, then yes maybe. At present, it seems too high a cost to pay for fielding the top-order as it is, whilst making room for DK as well. On any given day, Pant is likely to deliver more off the same 29 balls. But he cannot bowl four overs, and certainly India can field another keeper.
Then there is the top-order, which must be given more chances. Kohli looked to hit his way out of another rusty, streaky innings and he was lucky to survive a chance off his second ball. Rahul is rusty too, while Rohit doesn’t seem to break out his rut.
There is a good chance that the team management will give this batting composition a longer run, and barring any upsets from Hong Kong, we will probably see another proper test in the next league phase against Pakistan next Sunday.
Come October 23 though, when India-Pakistan meet at the MCG in the opening encounter of the T20 World Cup, will Pant be sitting out then too? Don’t count on it.
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