Hardik Pandya hasn't lost his sheen as an all-rounder despite string of injuries: Shane Bond

One of the finest all-rounders of the modern generation, Hardik Pandya since making his comeback following a serious back injury has settled into the team quite nicely. While the return has been fruitful for Pandya and his team, but his all-round exploits haven’t been quite the same.

All through the Australia series and the England series, Hardik didn’t bowl much and played primarily as a batsman. In the ODI series in Australia, Hardik did bowl a few overs but given the seriousness of his injury, he wasn’t rushed.

Hardik bowled in all the 5 T20I matches but was taken off the workload in the first two ODIs. Captain Virat Kohli stated after the first ODI that the think tank needs to manage Hardik’s workload as they want him to be fit as an all-rounder during the ICC World Test Championship final in England.

Mumbai Indians bowling coach Shane Bond feels that despite a string of injuries, Hardik Pandya hasn’t lost sheen as an all-rounder and will be a vital cog for the 5-time champions in the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League.

“Our aim was to get him back in the process of returning as an all-rounder for India and he is coming to this IPL having done so against England,” Bond was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

Hardik has been a sensation with the bat and Bond feels that his exploits with the bat have made him enjoy his bowling more.

“When he was picked for India, he was seen as a genuine all-rounder. He can still do both equally well, but it’s his batting that has taken the pressure off his bowling. He knows he is one of the best white-ball batsmen in the world and that has made him more comfortable with his bowling.”

“There was a point when I felt he was diving into the crease a little bit too much. He was also mindful of that and got the alignment a little straight and it worked.”

Despite being one of the most prominent all-rounders in the Mumbai Indians set-up, Shane Bond feels that his workload needs to be managed well.

“I understand that he is a brilliant fourth-pacer option batting at No. 7 in Tests, but I would think he is better off bowling 10 overs a day even when he is playing red-ball cricket, instead of 15-16. Ben Stokes, too, is doing the same,” Bond further added.

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