AUS vs IND: Virat Kohli has a ‘Pandya’ sized problem to solve

Since the time Hardik Pandya made his debut for India, he was rated highly for his effortless six-hitting and handy bowling that solved a major issue for India, a cover for the frontline bowlers in case one had a bad day. Like all potential all-rounder of the past, he too was seen with a big hope of becoming the next big things in Indian cricket who would work as a cherry on the top of a star-studded batting line up with lusty hits and crazy strike rates and will also enable captains to be more flexible with bowling options.

However, injury has played a huge role in halting his growth and Pandya has not bowled in Indian colours since South Africa's visit to India last year and there is no certain date or clarity when he will be able to resume his role. Like all good cricketers, Pandya, too, has his eye set on the big prize and it is the three World Cups that will take place between 2021-23 that Pandya does not want to risk by hurrying into bowling. 

“It is a process. I am looking at a long-term goal where I want to be 100% of my bowling capacity for the most important games. The World Cups are coming. More crucial series are coming. Whenever it is required,” Pandya revealed his plans on bowling.

What Pandya said after the first ODI must have been known to Kohli and the team management and questions such as where does it leave the balance of the Indian ODI team and does Pandya merit a place in the playing XI purely on the basis of his batting must have crossed Kohli and Ravi Shastri’s mind. 

Old wounds surface again

Hardik Pandya was in blistering form this IPL and the level of his performances could not go unnoticed as Kohli backed him as one of the six batsmen in a 6+1+4 combination where Jadeja was the solitary all-rounder who played predominantly as a bowler. Pandya, the batsman has come off age and he capitalised on his new role by scoring a magnificent 90 runs with so much ease and command at the crease that would make any frontline batsman proud of themselves.

While Pandya’s success with the bat might have solved the finisher riddle for Kohli, it has left an old wound wide open along with complicating the balance of the team further. Now, Kohli has the challenge of finding a backup bowler who can roll their arms over on days when one of the frontline bowlers have an off day or they pull up injuries mid-game but at the same time Pandya, the batsman can’t be dropped and not miss Pandya, the all-rounder is not bowling due to fitness. 

Pandya’s inability to bowl while his prowess with the bat and proven match-winning quality makes him undroppable from the team, while his presence in the team will ignite the debate around the perpetually contentious number four spot with KL Rahul seems to be other players in the undroppable category having proved his mettle over a considerably longer period of time.

Possible solutions?

But, would Kohli be comfortable risking destabilising the team after letting Shreyas Iyer earn and own that spot on the back of consistent and solid batting performances? Ideally, the answer should be no but if the team will continue suffering due to the lack of the sixth bowler in the line-up, he and the team management will be tempted to try shifting Rahul at number four with Hardik at the number five followed by Jadeja ad another all-rounder who can give him cushioning of at least five overs in any game, at any stage of a game.

This problem could well have been preempted by the former selector MSK Prasad who had decided to back Vijay Shankar for his all-round ability but as he was choosing him for a big tournament and did overlook the pedigree of a specialist batsman in Ambati Rayudu, he was subjected to a lot of flack for looking to select players with ‘3-dimensional game. Shankar, too, did not do his chances any good by not turning up in the limited opportunities and injury cut short his career before it could take shape.

Virat Kohli got many things in better shape than his predecessor MS Dhoni and maturity of players who were struggling to fill voids of big names in batting and rookies in the bowling department was one of them, he could not get the luxury of having batsmen who could provide him with a couple of overs in between big partnership to check the momentum like the way Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina or Yusuf Pathan used to do for Dhoni during the time India won the ODI World Cup in 2011.

Kohli, too, can ask the likes of Dhawan and Iyer to develop their bowling capabilities in order to be ready to chip in with a couple of overs but will that be too much to ask for players who never enjoy bowling. The likes of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar enjoyed bowling before their shoulders started giving up on them whereas Suresh Raina and Yusuf Pathan bowled till they played for the team and Dhoni used them sparingly to good effect. 

These underrated aspects of the game also speak of the difference in the leadership style of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. Dhoni relied on every player to chip in with something they were not exactly picked for and the emergence of Yuvraj Singh, the bowler and his statement about express but wayward Indian bowling attack in Bangladesh after the ICC World Cup 2015 were testaments to his leadership style where he could extract more out of players than the qualities for which they were originally picked in the squad.

On the other hand, Kohli always loved to have a bit of X-factor in his players and asked his express bowlers to bowl quick while stroke maker batsmen were encouraged to retain their flair.

Hardik Pandya is a true Virat Kohli’s generation of players in the Indian cricket team and his successes symbolise the brand of cricket the team has been playing in the last three-four years after the departure of MS Dhoni. Sadly, for now, his fitness is plaguing him and with him giving a lot of very trouble that he had promised to solve when he burst onto the scene of Indian cricket.

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