Highlights
The Indian squad for the ODI World Cup has been announced
Rohit Sharma will be the captain of the team and Hardik will be the vice-captain.
New Delhi. There can be no one like Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The position he has achieved as a player, captain and sports expert has not been easy, but next month’s World Cup will require another Dhoni as Team India tries to match Dhoni’s footsteps or Mahi. The good thing is that the actor who considers Mahi as his role model is gearing up for the role. We are talking about Hardik Pandya, who has been named the vice-captain of the Indian team for the ODI World Cup.
Pandya himself has said that he is ready to play Dhoni’s role in ODI cricket and has become more responsible than ever after taking the lead in limited-overs cricket. In the opening match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, Pandya’s innings of 87 proved that he is moving in the right direction to fit in and hit Dhoni’s role.
It is not easy for Pandya to play Dhoni’s role.
It will not be easy for Pandya to live up to the role Mahendra Singh Dhoni has played for Team India over the years. Because Dhoni not only played the role of finisher for Team India but also played the role of anchor when needed and often played slow game to save wickets. Pandya’s innings of 87 runs against Pakistan perfectly matches Dhoni’s strategy. It had everything: measured risk, aggression and defensive play.
Pandya played a brilliant innings against Pakistan
When India were 66 for 4 with 35 overs to play, Hardik came to bat against Pakistan. At that time a batsman was needed who could stretch the Indian innings as far as possible and Pandya did that with ease. When the wicket had a double bounce. Pakistan’s fast bowlers were wreaking havoc but Pandya, like Dhoni, buried the stakes and returned only after getting the team out of trouble.
Pandya is now playing by understanding the situation like Dhoni
Pandya quickly understood the mood of the pitch during this innings. He knew that it was not easy to hit the front side on a double-bounce wicket, so he used the sweep extensively against the spin bowlers. When the fast bowlers came in, they used their angle and ran the ball square off the wicket. He will not fall into the trap of Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz. It wasn’t that Pandya couldn’t play big shots against these two bowlers but considering the urgency of the occasion, he batted like Dhoni. Pandya waited to hit a six on the 72nd ball of his innings. Like Dhoni, he also kept the scoreboard going with a run or two. Pandya scored 53 runs out of 87 with a single-double.
Pandya also played the role of senior partner
Not only did Pandya bat against Pakistan like Dhoni, but like Mahi, he kept Ishan Kishan quiet and insisted on forming a partnership with the wicketkeeper-batsman. When the partnership blossomed and another powerplay came, we shifted gears. The three fours off his bat against Haris Rauf in the 40th over are proof of that.
Pandya now fits every role of anchor, finisher
Pandya played every role of anchor, finisher, troubleshooter in this innings and shone in it. If we talk about World Cup 2023, India’s middle order looks weak. In such a situation, the role played by Yuvraj Singh in making Team India the world champion in 2011, Pandya can complete in 2023. In the 2011 World Cup, Yuvraj worked to contain the Indian middle order and Pandya has the quality to do the same.
Pandya likes pace
Indian batsmen are seen struggling against pace but Pandya loves pace. Against Pakistan, Australia and England, who have the strongest pace attack, Pandya has scored runs at an average of 69, 55 and 45. Like Yuvraj, Pandya can also bat at number 4, 5, 6 and 7. If India’s wicket falls early, he can play the role of anchor and take the ball till the last over and then show the prowess of finishing the match like Dhoni.
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Tags: Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Team India, World Cup 2023
First published: September 05, 2023, 13:52 IST