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On October 23, India will begin their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan. Before the big game, India will play two warm-up matches against England and Australia on the October 18 and October 20 respectively.
Former Indian cricketer and T20 World Cup-winning member Gautam Gambhir believes that the warm-up games will be a fantastic opportunity for India to put all-rounder Hardik Pandya's bowling to the test. Pandya hasn't bowled a single over for Mumbai Indians (MI) in the second phase of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. As a result, he's been chastised for his fitness and form.
"For me, Hardik Pandya gets into India's playing XI only if he does proper bowling in both warmup games, not only in the nets. There is a huge difference between bowling in the nets and against quality batsmen like Babar Azam and that too in the World Cup," Gambhir said in a show on Star Sports.
"He has to bowl in the practice matches and the nets, and he has to bowl 100 percent. If you are thinking that you will come and bowl just at 115-120 kph, I will not take that risk," he added.
Furthermore, he stated that going with Hardik is pointless if he does not bowl and merely bats as a specialised batter. If Pandya is only playing as a batter and can't contribute in the bowling department, Gambhir said he'd rather have Ishan Kishan in the side.
"If I have to go with just five bowlers, then I will pick Ishan Kishan ahead of Hardik Pandya on current form. If you are going with five proper bowlers and six batsmen, Hardik's form is probably a massive concern. Forget about the bowling, with the bat as well," the left-hander asserted.
If the Baroda all-rounder does not bowl, it will be a cause of concern for Virat Kohli and his men. The 28-year-old hasn't bowled much since his return, and when he did, he appeared to be out of sorts. It'll be interesting to see if he is handed the ball against England on October 18.
