When the Indian Test squad for the first two Tests was selected, one name caught everybody's attention and that name was of Baroda’s 23-year-old Hardik Himanshu Pandya. Although experts do have differences in their opinions on him, most agree that he is more than a useful cricketer in limited overs format, it was just a little early to have him in the Test side and that too just making him sit in the bench when the domestic season was on and match practice could have helped improve his game further.
But the selectors had other ideas. Hardik Pandya is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium pacer, who adds that balance in the team that the captain wants. Hardik Pandya came into limelight when he was playing for Baroda against Mumbai in the opening match of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He came into bat at 20/2 and then turned the fortunes of Baroda Team with his outstanding innings of 57-ball 82, that too against the likes of India’s best seam bowler Zaheer Khan.
However, it was his decent outings in the Indian Premier League that announced his arrival at the world stage. Even after he was dropped from the Mumbai Indians playing 11, he didn’t give up. Instead, he went back practiced practiced and practiced; worked hard on his fitness and when he received his ODI CAP from Kapil Dev against New Zealand, he was constantly clocking speeds of mid 140 Kilometers per Hour.
Not only that, he was able to pick up wickets and trouble the batsman and then make invaluable contributions with the bat. And in the on-going India-England Test Series, Pandya was selected in the Indian Test Squad as well; however there are very minute chances that he may feature in the 11.
While Pandya’s selection got mixed reviews from cricketing experts, it was maybe a bit harsh and unfair to somebody like Stuart Binny, who has been a part of the 15-member squad for quite some time but never got a consistent phase of matches where he could prove his worth. The Karnataka all rounder bowls a little slower than Hardik but his consistency has been remarkable in the Domestic Circuit. However, age is also not on his side. Binny celebrated his 32ndBirthday this October. On him Anil Kumble had mentioned that we would call him (Binny). He, for now, now needs to focus on domestic cricket.
The battle of all rounders is a very rare occasion in Indian cricketing history and that too seam bowling all rounders. Such battles are only good for Indian cricket and a very good problem for the Indian captain, selectors and coach to have.
