Champions Trophy: Hardik Pandya - India's Reliable Insurance Policy

India have made a significant tactical change in their approach for the 2023 ODI World Cup in Dubai. They have opted to play with one fewer pacer and an additional spinner in their lineup. This strategic shift has been made possible due to the exceptional all-round capabilities of Hardik Pandya, a player whose versatility often goes unrecognized.

The allrounder’s new-ball spell in Sunday’s Champions Trophy game against Pakistan was an example of how he plugs the crucial holes in India’s ODI gameplan. Mohammed Shami, coming off a successful five-for had got off to a wretched start – seven wides in his 11-ball first over. If that wasn’t enough, he walked off the park to treat his ankle, after bowling the third over. The heat may have got to him, but there would have been concerns, what if Shami, having come back from a long injury layoff, can’t bowl again?

India though had in Hardik an insurance cover. He came on in the seventh over itself. An enforced change, but he found rhythm straightaway.

Babar Azam wasn’t off to a racy start in the Powerplay. One felt he had gauged the pitch behaviour and was unperturbed by the strike rate criticism around him. Two signature shots, a flick of the wrists and a cover drive served a reminder to young Harshit Rana that Azam wasn’t batting on reputation alone. But he had to bat on and make it count. Hardik though got one to nip off the seam, caught Azam’s outside edge and waved a little good-bye, casual enough not to earn the match referee’s wrath, but enough to revel in the achievement.

Keeping the batter honest with seam-up deliveries that came off testing lengths, Hardik knew just when to mix it up with slower balls on a typically tired Dubai pitch. The allrounder held his end of the bargain so well that he was bowled six overs at a stretch. The last time Hardik had bowled a spell this long was in the 2017 Champions Trophy final loss to Pakistan. That was a young Hardik in peak bowling form. His 6-0-18-1 spell allayed any doubt around his bowling fitness.

Just when a century partnership between Saud Shakeel and Mohammed Rizwan threatened to pick up speed, Rohit again dialled Hardik’s medium pace. He almost sent Rizwan back when the Pakistan captain skied a slower ball to deep mid-wicket, but Harshit Rana was unable to complete a difficult catch running backwards.

Axar Patel made sure the let-off won’t hurt India much by cleaning up Rizwan 46 (77b). In the very next over, Hardik would bend his back and send Shakeel 62 (76b) back with a bouncer that ended up in Axar’s hands at deep mid-wicket. Another short but effective burst.

Not to forget, in India’s largely dominant performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup, they couldn’t contemplate a spin-heavy ploy after Hardik lost his fitness battle. At the time, it was a freak on-field injury that limited his participation to three matches and three balls in the fourth.

Against Bangladesh in Pune, Hardik hobbling off the park was seen as a big setback, though the team found the momentum to win around the country. Hardik has been injured before. His bowling fitness has been questioned. He’s been branded a T20 specialist, with question marks over his ODI bowling fitness. His spell of 8-0-31-2 isn’t remarkable in numerical terms but in the larger scheme of things, it was Hardik Pandya proving his all-round worth all over again.

Think of his power-hitting prowess that is second to none, and it leaves you wondering if there is a better fast bowling ODI all-rounder in the world today.

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