Hardik Pandya will return to action for the first time after IPL 2023 with the IND vs WI ODI series. The Indian vice-captain arrived in the Caribbean in what is a busy few weeks for the maverick all-rounder. Hardik is pivotal to India’s plans heading into the World Cup 2023, and the West Indies will be a test of his fitness levels.
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India has a white-ball marathon with three ODIs followed by five T20Is against the West Indies. Hardik, who isn’t part of the Test team, is likely to feature in all games in what is an 18-day schedule. The star all-rounder is the designated vice-captain for the ODIs while leading the side in T20Is. After being out of action for the past couple of months, Pandya will hope to get some overs under his belt on this tour.
Given India’s dearth of pace bowling all-rounders, Hardik Pandya’s fitness and availability are of paramount importance. He did bowl regularly in the IPL, but whether he can take a load of bowling 10 overs in ODIs remains to be seen. Since his return to the side last year, Hardik has been managing his workload well to suit the demands of the game. India will need him to bowl at least 6-7 overs a game on a regular basis, both in the Asia Cup and the World Cup 2023.
Former India selector Saba Karim believes Hardik is central to India’s plans. The West Indies provides him with the perfect opportunity to test his fitness and bowl lengthy spells.
“Since India is considering him (Hardik Pandya) as a 5th or 6th bowling option in WC, this is a great opportunity to see if he can bowl 5-6 overs,” Karim said during the post-match show.
While Hardik might get those overs in, it remains to be seen whether he can do that in a packed schedule. Hardik bowled consistently in the IPL, but the ODIs would require him to be on the field for longer hours and bowl twice as many overs. The West Indies series thus is just a teaser.
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