India in Sri Lanka: Hardik Pandya needs to start bowling now to give India balance, says Aakash Chopra

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra believes that Hardik Pandya needs to start bowling regularly to give the Indian team balance as he will give the side a lot of options and depth going into the T20 World Cup. Notably, Pandya has not been bowling due to a back injury for which he also underwent surgery in 2020.

However, Pandya spoke about returning to bowling sooner rather than later during the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. In fact, the lack of a fast-bowling all-rounder turned out to be quite critical as India lost the inaugural World Test Championship final against New Zealand in Southampton.

“He will have to start bowling now. He bowled a few overs in Australia, then you played against England and in the IPL. You didn’t bowl for your team in the IPL as well. It’s been a very patchy kind of ride,” Chopra said in a video shared on his YouTube channel.

“You were looking at him for Test cricket but he is not available for you there as well because he is not bowling. When you look at it from that vantage point, there is only one player like Hardik Pandya, he provides balance. Hardik Pandya as a fast-bowling all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja as a spinning all-rounder, and Washington Sundar with them, it becomes a superb team,” Chopra added.

Chopra said that the MI all-rounder could chip in with seven to eight overs on ODIs and look to complete his quota in the T20s.

“Six to eight (overs) and bowls his full quota in T20s, full overs in the IPL and then definitely in the World Cup because Hardik Pandya bowling makes it easier for India to get the right balance,” he added.