India has been struggling with the difficulty of the sixth bowling option due to Hardik Pandya not bowling his quota of overs.
Several cricket gurus and former players have weighed in on the subject. Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin is the most recent addition to the list.
Pandya hasn’t bowled a lot of overs since he returned from his back injury. In India’s T20 World Cup opener against Pakistan, he was part of the starting XI.
He did not bowl in the game and was also unable to make an impact with the bat. For the following match, the management may need to put their thinking caps on the sixth bowling option.
In ICC events, India has a strong record versus Pakistan. The Men in Green, on the other hand, ended India’s 12-match World Cup winning streak with a resounding triumph.
Given that India’s next match is against a Kane Williamson-led team, Haddin believes that the Virat Kohli-led side may need to consider inserting an all-rounder in the lineup, which might lead to Pandya being benched.
The sixth bowler poses an interesting dilemma for India
“Interesting problem they have is the sixth bowler. Hardik Pandya is not bowling. Now, will they start to doubt what’s been successful for them for a long period of time?
“Do they have to bring an all-rounder in to cover that sixth bowling option? So, they have got some decisions to make,” Haddin said as quoted by India Today.
For their second match of the major event, India will face New Zealand. As a result, Shardul Thakur is one of the Men in Blue’s options for the match against the Black Caps.
The pacer has been in excellent form recently. Thakur was the best wicket-taker for Chennai Super Kings in the just ended Indian Premier League. In the competition, he took 21 wickets from 16 matches.
Both teams will be looking forward to this battle against the Kiwis.
India and New Zealand have lost their previous games to Pakistan and will be looking to dominate the proceedings in this match.
Both teams’ prospects of reaching the semi-finals will be harmed if they lose.
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