Hardik Pandya will be crucial in the ODIs, reckons Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar was an integral member of a golden generation of Indian cricket, which gave us many iconic moments like the 1983 World Cup triumph. The little master stood tall against some legendary fast bowlers and he fought like a warrior, setting an unattainable benchmark for the rest.

The Indian side currently is in England, a place where they had scripted some iconic stories. In the expert column he wrote for Times of India, the former Indian cricketer spoke at length about the challenges both these sides will be facing in this huge banter.

He complimented the character of this English side, which managed to annihilate the desolated Aussies 5-0 in the ODI series recently. “England have completed a whitewash of the Australians, while the Aussies were not a full-strength team, especially their bowling. But the way England fought back in the final ODI led by Jos Buttler showed the character of this side,” Gavaskar wrote.

Hardik Pandya will be key for India’s chances

Jasprit Bumrah’s loss, according to the 69-year-old, will be felt for. Over the last few months, Bumrah worked tremendously in tandem with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the duo easily qualify as the best death overs combination of fast bowlers. He also noted that it will be difficult for the management to decide on how many spinners to play.

“India will be thinking whether to go with two spinners or one. But if the weather stays bright and sunny, the pitch will be dry and will assist the spinners a lot. Bumrah’s absence will be felt for. He worked brilliantly in tandem with Bhuvneshwar Kumar in recent times,” Gavaskar noted.

The Indian batting legend also heaped praises on how Hardik Pandya stepped up at Briston in the final T20I game. The all-rounder bagged four wickets and also fired with a brilliant cameo, which helped India seal the game without any complications.

“Pandya put up his hand and bagged four wickets to break the English momentum in Bristol. He will be crucial for the side with both bat and ball,” He concluded.