Xtra Time Web Desk: Team India bowling Coach Bharat Arun feels Shardul Thakur can fit in the role of Hardik Pandya during the upcoming tour to England. According to Bharat Arun, Shardul possess all the acumen to be the fast bowling all rounder that the team needs in the absence of Hardik. The younger of the Pandya brothers is dogged with a back injury that restricted his role with the ball. Hardik was not included in the Test team for the tour of England as he “was not in a position to bowl”, according to the BCCI.
“It is more of a selectors’ job to find them and then we can develop those all-rounders. Shardul has proved he can be an all rounder. What he did in Australia was fabulous,” Arun said during the interaction facilitated by Ironwood Education Company.
Pandya last played Test cricket for India in 2018, during the tour of England. He has been battling a back injury since 2019 and recently, during the IPL, also picked up a shoulder niggle.
Arun agreed that finding someone as good as Pandya would be a very tough job.
“I wish you could just wish and develop bowlers like that. Hardik is an outstanding talent, but unfortunately, he had to undergo a back operation and then it’s not very easy to come back after that,” he said.
“He bowled against England, I thought he did a really good job. But, to sustain that we need to manage him well and build on his strength,” he added.
The two-Test old Thakur was mighty impressive in the only longest format game he played in the away series against Australia this year, picking up seven wickets and a half century to boot in Brisbane.