Hardik Pandya – The new star on the horizon

At first glance, Hardik Pandya comes across as someone who our mild-mannered grandfathers will find annoying. He is boisterous, wild and untamed. He is unfazed by the big stage. He wants to be in the spotlight. This is a new age and Hardik is the product of a generation that is ambitious, overzealous and fearless. On a closer look, it can be noticed that he has the heart for a fight.

He is ready to put his body on the line to save a run for his team. No matter what the situation is he believes he can bulldoze his way to success. Every time he goes onto the field his captain knows he will give everything he has got. When he was selected in the T20 squad to face Australia in Australia, one could see the thinking behind the choice.

Pandya showed in the IPL 2015 that he could strike the ball long and hard. Indian lower order lacked a power hitter and Pandya looked a better bet than Stuart Binny. He had a roller-coaster start to his T20 career. He never got to bat in Australia but proved quite handy with the ball claiming 5 wickets. He cleaned up the tail to register a barely believable 3/8 versus Pakistan in the Asia Cup. That bowling performance followed a whirlwind 31 against Bangladesh to prove his big hitting credentials. He seemed to be the weak link in the bowling attack, yet in some of the matches, he bowled more overs than someone like Ashwin.

During the World T20 in India, he bowled that remarkable last over against Bangladesh when he defended 10 in the last over. He held his nerve while senior Bangladeshi batsmen lost their heads as they needed 2 runs from 3 balls to herald a famous win. Suddenly Hardik Pandya was the man with the golden arm! Dhoni’s new Joginder Sharma!

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Just when it looked a new fairy tale was blooming, there was the inevitable crash. He endured a disastrous semi-final versus West Indies where he was smashed for 43 runs. To add to the misery, he dismissed Lendl Simmons at a crucial juncture only to find he over-stepped.

It seemed his race was run when in the ensuing IPL he recorded below-par performances. His brother Krunal Pandya was preferred and Pandya was dropped from the Mumbai Indian’s eleven. He was dropped from the Indian T20 team as well based on his poor returns in the IPL. That was when he was selected for the ‘A’ tour to Australia.

On just looking over the scorecards from the ‘A’ tour, one could see he didn’t do anything extraordinary. But those who saw him live tell a different tale. He added an extra yard of pace and that had worried quite a few batsmen down under. Harsha Bhogle tweeted that Hardik Pandya even got a nod of approval from his India ‘A’ coach – Rahul Dravid. Quite possibly, it might have paved the way for his ODI selection.

Then Dharmashala happened. Something about Pandya’s bowling must have surely caught Dhoni’s eye. On his debut, he was given the new ball and there were three slips to back him up. Pandya duly struck in his first over by removing the dangerous Martin Guptill. He added two more wickets to good measure to walk away with Man of the Match trophy on his debut. He sure does know to make an entrance!

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It was the second ODI which showed that he could put his head down and bat for the team when the situation demanded. With 60 needed from 53 balls with just two wickets in hand, he batted sensibly and added 49 with Umesh Yadav to take India to the doorstep of victory. Then the familiar brain fade occurred and India went on to lose by 6 runs. After failing to make any impact in the next two matches he was dropped for the decider. Even though he was dropped, he is surely expected to be in the ODI scheme of things given the Champions Trophy 2017 is in England.

After failing to make any impact in the next two matches he was dropped for the decider. Even though he was dropped, he is surely expected to be in the ODI scheme of things given the Champions Trophy 2017 is in England.

If his ODI call-up was surprising, the news of his selection in the Test team was greeted with amusement and amazement. With England still licking their wounds after their defeat at the hands of Bangladesh, Virat Kohli may be tempted to play three spinners. With Rohit Sharma missing due to an injury and Ravichandran Ashwin showing decent batting skills, Pandya may even get a Test cap in one of these games.

A year ago, no one would have imagined that he would be in the running for a national team spot in all three formats. But Pandya must know by now that when it rains, it usually pours. And it is now up to him to make hay while the sun shines.

Written by Hari Sankar