Hardik Pandya has answered all the questions that India were looking out for in an all-rounder. His natural free-stroking approach has bailed India out on most occasions. Be it in No. 7 or No. 4, Pandya has proved his stance.
His India A coach and Indian legend Rahul Dravid known as ‘The Wall’ feels Pandya is a smart cricketer, who can play as per the situations. Dravid hopes India A players are able to emulate the template set by Pandya. Last year Dravid was Pandya’s coach during the India A tour of Australia. It was for the first time Dravid discovered Pandya’s ability to temper his free-strokes. Dravid feels Pandya is a perfect example of how to bat differently in different conditions.
“A good example about Hardik from my perspective is, he’s willing to play situations and not just the natural game we often speak about. Credit goes completely to him. It’s not about playing just the one way you want to play,” Dravid said on the sidelines of India A’s unofficial Test against New Zealand A in Vijayawada.
Pandya has attracted many fans with his power hitting abilities, as he is showing in the ongoing five-match series against Australia. He has already scored two half-centuries in the series, with two more matches left.
Team India will next face the Aussies for the fourth ODI in Bengaluru on September 28. A win at M Chinnaswamy stadium help India strengthen their spot atop on the ICC ODI Team rankings.
