England Vs India 2018: Michael Holding Believes Hardik Pandya is Not Consistent

Former Windies speedster Michael Holding feels that Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya hasn’t reached the level of a good all-rounder especially in the longest format of the game. He stated that Pandya is not as useful as a batsman and lacks control and consistency with the ball. He prefers a specialist batsman or a bowler in the team who can do the respective duties when required. Recently, Pandya has struggled on ongoing England tour.

“The [Indian] attack has not been the right balance,” Holding told ESPNcricinfo.

“Apparently they are playing Hardik Pandya as an allrounder to help out with the bowling. When he bowls, he isn’t as effective as he should be. If he was a good batsman, if he was getting runs – 60s, 70s, not even regular hundreds – at the number at which he bats and then he bowls and gets two or three wickets, happy, hallelujah. Happy with that. But he is not getting the number of runs that can then allow him to get a wicket or two in the Test match. That doesn’t work,” he stated.

Hardik Pandya gets the lashing from Michael Holding:

Pandya has been pretty mediocre with both bat and the ball, especially in trying conditions. Pandya made his Test debut against Sri Lanka last July. He smashed his maiden Test fifty and century in the same series.

Baroda-based Pandya has been given an extended run in the Test format and has been the only player who has been in the playing XI along with skipper Virat Kohli.

“I don’t think he does a lot with the ball. That is number one,” Holding said.

“He is not consistent. He does not have the control that puts batsmen under pressure constantly. He will bowl a couple of good deliveries, yes, but you need to have the control to put batsmen under pressure consistently. And he doesn’t have that,” Holding reiterated.

England Vs India: Michael Holding believes Hardik Pandya is not up to the mark –

“If you are going to be a frontline bowler anywhere in the world if you are going to be someone that your captain can rely on, that can throw you the ball and expect you to get wickets and expect you to have control, he is not really the man in my opinion,” Holding concluded.