Michael Holding doesn't consider Hardik Pandya a genuine Test all-rounder

Hardik Pandya has been plying his trade in international cricket from 2016 onwards. Last year, he forayed into Test cricket against Sri Lanka and played reasonably well. He scored his maiden Test ton during the same tour in Pallekele and was selected for India’s tour of South Africa earlier this year. He played a gutsy knock of 93 in the first innings of the Cape Town-Test.

On the backs of his impressive start, he was also compared to the legendary Kapil Dev. Thereafter, he has fallen away a wee bit and hasn’t been able to perform as per expectations. He is currently playing India’s five-match Test series against England and India are 0-2 behind with three matches remaining.

Pandya’s performance as the all-rounder also has been a tad disappointing. In the meantime, Michael Holding said that Pandya is neither delivering with the ball nor with the willow. The former Windies‘ cricketer cited his poor show in all the departments as to why he can’t be considered as a genuine Test all-rounder for the time being.

He is not really the man in my opinion

“Apparently they are playing Hardik Pandya as an all-rounder to help out with the bowling. When he bowls he isn’t as effective as he should be. If he was a good batsman, if he was getting runs – 60s, 70s, not even regular hundreds – at the number at which he bats and then he bowls and gets two or three wickets, happy, hallelujah. Happy with that.

But he is not getting the amount of runs that can then allow him to get a wicket or two in the Test match. That doesn’t work,” Holding was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

“If you are going to be a frontline bowler anywhere in the world, if you are going to be someone that your captain can rely on, that can throw you the ball and expect you to get wickets and expect you to have control, he is not really the man in my opinion,” he added.

Pandya scored 53 runs, combining two innings, in the opening match at Edgbaston in Birmingham and couldn’t pick up a wicket. Albeit he stepped with three wickets at Lord’s, the 24-year-old slumped with the willow yet another time. It will now be interesting to see how he performs in the Nottingham-Test provided he gets selected.

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