• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Hardik Feels Pressure Sanjay Manjrekars Big Statement On Indian All Rounder

'Hardik Feels Pressure...,' Sanjay Manjrekar's Big Statement On Indian All-Rounder

image-lnkah4ukHardik Pandya is key for India (X.com)

Even as skipper Rohit Sharma gave his premier allrounder a big vote of confidence by calling Hardik Pandya a specialist seamer at his best, Sanjay Manjrekar disagreed with the Indian skipper and called for the inclusion of an extra pacer to replace R Ashwin in the team for the next ICC World Cup 2023 game in Delhi. 

With India set to take on Afghanistan in their second game of the tournament on Wednesday (October 10), Rohit & company look set to ditch the three-pronged spin attack that upstaged the Australians on a dry surface in Chennai and play the third seamer for a flatter deck. 

Would that be utility fast-bowling allrounder Shardul Thakur or experienced right-arm quick Mohammad Shami remains to be seen. However, irrespective of the choice in the offing, Manjrekar denounced playing Pandya as the third seamer in the playing XI, insisting the Baroda cricketer feels "pressure" when promoted from the fourth-pacer's tag. 

For Manjrekar, India should back their best pace attack for an Asian opposition since the Afghans would be wary of facing Shami or Thakur on a track with greater pace and bounce. Delhi's first game of the World Cup witnessed the South Africans belting the Sri Lankans for a massive 428/5. 

Pandya Shouldn't Play As The Third Pacer - Manjrekar 

Speaking to Star Sports in a discussion about India's tactics, Manjrekar underlined the fact that India have "shown their cards" early into the World Cup and oppositions now know they will play three proper seamers plus the allrounder whenever the conditions are flat or pacer-friendly and switch to an extra spinner on a turning pitch. 

On Pandya, Manjrekar reckoned the premier fast-bowling allrounder shouldn't be put under pressure to deliver his overs as the third seamer as he requires the cover provided by the presence of an extra specialist quick. 

"My view is that, unless there is a compelling reason, I don't like Hardik Pandya as your third seamer. I think he also feels the pressure if he is the third seamer," Manjrekar said. 

"What is likely to happen is that if the pitch is similar to the one that we had in that South Africa-Sri Lanka game, which was a belter, there was nothing there for the spinners, I don't see Ashwin playing on that surface. India will add more batting depth unless they feel that they will get in pace quality against Afghanistan on this flat pitch. But they have shown their cards very early coming into the World Cup. They are not very keen to go one batter short. Shardul Thakur or Mohammed Shami is the change that I see if that's the exact same surface that we get in Delhi." 

India are set to play their second game of the World Cup against Afghanistan on 11th of October at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.