former England captain Nasser Hussain believes all-round star Hardik Pandya would have added balance to India in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against India. Nasser Hussain said that India was not sure about playing XI before the start of the game on Wednesday June 7.
Hardik Pandya had not been a part of India’s red ball setup for the past five years, having played his last test match against England in 2018. The GT skipper suffered back injuries, forcing him to pull out the format. However, Pandya is a regular member of the limited pack team for India.
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He just balances the side away from home – Nasser Hussain
Nasser Hussain, who was on commentary during the final session, stressed the importance of having all-rounder seam bowlers in the Indian line-up in overseas Test matches.
“In the draw this morning, it was so apparent that India weren’t sure on their side and Australia were very clear and Cameron Green has a lot to do with that. He just balances out the team away from home in England. He is the type of cricketer India would have loved to have.” Hussein said.
“Of course, Shardul Thakur is a seam bowling all-rounder. In India, you have Jadeja, Ashwin and Axar Patel. They are complete all-rounders in Indian conditions, but what about a seam bowling all-rounder when you go abroad? Where is Hardik Pandya? added.
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He Didn’t Feel It Was Fair – Ricky Ponting
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes Hardik Pandya’s inclusion for the one-time event will be unfair to the players who worked hard to make it to the final WTC squad.
“That’s the only line that was mentioned in today’s comment. She made it clear that he feels his body will not withstand the rigors of Test cricket. He was thrown in a game like this, what do you think about playing in a game like this, just a one off test to help balance the side? Ponting said.
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“And apparently his response was that he didn’t feel like it was fair to everyone else who had gone through this journey in the last two years before this game.” added.
The Rohit Sharma-led side chose four closers in their bowling attack, including fast-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur. India struggled on day 1 of the Test match, conceding 327 runs and taking three wickets. Travis Head scored 146 runs while Steve Smith scored 95 runs before stumps.
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