MSK Prasad feels Hardik Pandya needs to be more consistent in Tests

All-rounder Hardik Pandya has become an enigma of a sort for Indian cricket. While he is often compared with the legendary Kapil Dev after flash-in-the-pan performances, failures punctuating those successes see fans, media and pundits tearing him apart. The 24-year-old Baroda cricketer now has found an appraisal from India’s chief selector MSK Prasad and the latter feels Pandya needs to show a bit more consistency.

Pandya had an ordinary outing in the recently concluded Test series in England and he had a fair game in the third match at Trent Bridge in which he scored an unbeaten fifty and took his maiden five-wicket haul. However, he fell flat in the next Test in Southampton which India had to win and came under severe criticism.

The youngster took just one wicket and scored four runs in two innings as the visitors lost the match and with that, the series. Pandya was dropped for the final Test at the Oval as India picked an added batsman by handing a debut to Hanuma Vihari.

He can perform in all conditions

On Sunday, MSK Prasad admitted that Hardik Pandya needed to be more consistent and added that he has shown that he is capable of performing under all conditions.

“Hardik Pandya is an all-rounder in the making. He scored a century against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka. He batted well against South Africa in the Cape Town Test and performed well both with bat and ball against England in Nottingham. This clearly shows that he can perform in all conditions,” Prasad was quoted as saying by India Today.

Pandya scored a 93 against South Africa in a Test in their den earlier this year after India faced a batting debacle. However, apart from that one inning, his approach to batting was criticised and he was accused of being irresponsible.

“Only thing we expect from him is more consistency with both bat & ball. I am sure this tour would have been a big learning experience in his career. He will be a better player with the experience he has gained from this tour,” the 43-year-old chief selector added.

Pandya made his Test debut in July last year and has scored 532 runs with a solitary hundred and has scalped 17 wickets in 11 matches so far.

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