Taskin Ahmed tried to bounce out Hardik Pandya. All he did was rock back, and get the bat close enough to the ball to give it the momentum to take it over and above the wicketkeeper for a boundary. And as he did so, he did not even look back to see where the ball had gone. Rather, he was focussed on chewing gum, and he kept doing so till Taskin walked back to his mark with a wry smile on his face. It was typical Hardik Pandya. Swagger of a very different kind. His 39 off 16 balls meant that India finished the match at a canter. Earlier in the evening, Pandya had bowled four overs and picked up a wicket as well.
A fit Hardik could be a huge asset for India in Australia. May be not so much in Sydney or Melbourne, but in Perth and Adelaide, for the day-night Test, his presence could be a big boost for India. If it is at all possible, Pandya must be convinced to play a Ranji Trophy game, and tried out for a Test against New Zealand, to see if his body holds up to the rigours of red-ball cricket. He could easily be the fourth seamer that India are after, and will help balance the team.
In fact, if India do make the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the third consecutive time, as is now expected, Pandya could play a major part the one-off Test in England in June. That’s how he could be effectively used. India doesn’t need him to play all Test matches. But for some games, like the WTC final, he could have a telling impact.
With the kind of attack India have at the moment, all Pamdya would be asked to do is bowl 10 overs or less in a day of Test cricket. His batting is easily good enough, and in a flash, India would have that extra balance needed in tough SENA conditions. This is something Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma should work on. Just like Rohit went to Pandya at a crucial juncture in the T20 World Cup final, this could be a move that works wonders for India in Australia.
For Pandya too, it is an opportunity to create a lasting legacy. Playing red-ball cricket for India in Australia and in the WTC final is a dream for most cricketers, and it will always be more important than an inconsequential bilateral T20 series. As a player, you need to make an impact in key games, and Pandya has always loved the big stage. There isn’t anything bigger than India v Australia in Australia, or the WTC final.
In fact, it was Sunil Gavaskar who had mentioned this to me long back. “Imagine Hardik as your fourth seamer in England for the WTC final,” he had said. “He can make a telling difference to India’s balance, and it can go a long way to India making a real bid for the trophy.”
Whether or not Pandya does play red-ball cricket remains to be seen. But if he does, it could be a win-win for everyone. He can match the Australians for aggression and his swagger will merit plenty of attention down under. And for Gambhir and Rohit, Pandya’s all-round ability would provide an option that few Indian teams have had in their repertoire in the past.