Pandya rested for Sri Lanka Tests amid injury concerns
Selectors and India team management want to ease the workload of the influential allrounder
NEW DELHI : Hardik Pandya has been rested for India’s three-test series against Sri Lanka, the cricket board announced on Friday, giving a deserved break to the first genuine pace-bowling all-rounder in the national ranks in a long while.
The 24-year-old Pandya has emerged as a genuine third pace bowler as well as an aggressive batsman who can be slotted in at No 6 in Tests as well. However, the Baroda player has of late grappled with niggles, raising concerns he could break down if pushed too hard.
“The All-india Senior Selection Committee in consultation with the Indian team management has decided to rest Pandya,” the BCCI said in a statement. Initially, Pandya was included for the first two Tests, to be played in Kolkata (Nov 16-20) and Nagpur (Nov 24-28). The final Test will be played in New Delhi from Dec 2.
“Considering Pandya’s heavy recent workload, the decision was made to negate any possibility of a major injury concern. He will undergo a period of strength conditioning at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru,” the statement added.
Pandya has played almost non-stop for India since making his national debut in a T20 in January last year. He made a big impression on Test debut in Sri Lanka in July-august, and scored his maiden century as India swept the series 3-0.
The slim player has also bowled at genuine pace, clocking around 140 kph, and won the Man-of-the-series award in the ODI series against Australia. But the strain of the workload has showed.
In Sri Lanka in early September, Pandya missed the final ODI and the one-off T20 tie due to a hamstring strain. In the justended series against New Zealand, he also seemed to struggle a touch with the bat, raising concerns of fatigue setting in.
It remains to be seen whether he is called up for the limitedovers segment of the Sri Lanka series, but the priority of the Indian team management will be to have Pandya fit and firing on the overseas tours lined up in the New Year.
Virat Kohli is also due for a break, and could well be rested in the second half of the Sri Lankan tour. On the Sri Lanka tour, even the superfit Indian skipper acknowledged he had to dig deep into his reserves in the sapping humidity at the end of the limited-overs series as he piled on one big score after another, completing a rare clean sweep across formats.