Bangalore. Former great batsman of the Indian cricket team, Sunil Gavaskar believes that it is very difficult to find a perfect replacement for star all-rounder Hardik Pandya. In such a situation, instead of wasting time in finding an identical player, the Indian team management should focus on those players who can play different roles. Emphasizing on the bowling balance of the team, he said that compromising on the quality of bowling just to lengthen the batting order can prove to be detrimental for the Indian team. India should enter the field with four main bowlers, while all-rounders should be used as the fifth and sixth options.
It is not possible to find an alternative to Hardik and salute Dheer’s example.
After the fifth T20 match against West Indies was canceled due to rain, Gavaskar said that it is not easy to compensate for the ability of an extraordinary player like Hardik Pandya. If such an all-rounder is not available, then the team should give opportunity to players who can play flexible roles according to different situations. Giving the example of young player Naman Dheer, he said that along with scoring runs with the bat, he can also bowl two to three overs of useful bowling if needed. Whereas players like Akshar Patel are capable of bowling full four overs of their quota, due to which the balance of the team is maintained.
India avoided weakening the bowling while batting till number eight.
Gavaskar cautioned that in order to give depth to the batting, playing batsmen till number eight weakens the main bowling attack of the team, which becomes a major reason for the defeat. He said that strengthening the bowlers should be the first priority. Apart from this, he advised to boost the morale of the spin bowlers and provide them continuous support. The confidence of spinners can waver quickly in the shorter formats, so it is very important to give them constant confidence by treating them as a part of the main structure of the team.
