3 problems a fully-fit Hardik Pandya would have solved for India in WTC final

The second World Test Championship (WTC) final between India and Australia started on Thursday, June 7. After losing by eight wickets to New Zealand in the inaugural final, this is India's second opportunity to take home their first ICC trophy since 2013.

Recently, the Indian team has struggled with fitness problems. A number of important players, including Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, and KL Rahul, are not playing in the summit clash due to injuries. As a result, players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, and Ajinkya Rahane have been included in the Indian squad.

The playing combination has been yet another area of concern for India. The injuries to Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul meant that India had to go with KS Bharat as the wicketkeeper. The bowling line-up was also intensely debated, especially the decision to not include top-ranked Test bowler Ravichandran Ashwin.

India's bowling line-up includes Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur. The presence of a fully-fit Hardik Pandya might have solved a number of India's problems.

On that note, let us take a look at three problems a fully-fit Hardik Pandya might have solved for India.

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#1. Recent Form

Shardul Thakur had a poor IPL in 2023. In 10 innings with the bat, he scored 113 runs at an average of 14.13 and a strike rate of 161.42. Barring, a half-century, he did not put in any significant performance. With the ball too, he took just seven wickets in nine innings and proved to be expensive with an economy-rate of 10.47. Thus, Thakur's recent form does not inspire much confidence.

On the other hand, Pandya scored 346 runs in 15 innings at an average of 31.45 and a strike rate of 136.75, successfully leading GT to their second-straight final.

He did not bowl much, reportedly due to fitness issues, but in recent times such as the T20 World Cup, Pandya has been a revelation with the ball and easily touches 140 kmph in pace. Thus, had he been fit, Pandya would have been a major asset for the Indian team.

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#2. English Conditions suit his bowling well

The English conditions suit Hardik Pandya's bowling a lot better than Shardul Thakur's. The Oval pitch had decent grass covering on Day 1. Thakur is a bowler who relies a lot on the bounce of the wicket. While conditions in England generally provide good bounce, swing bowlers are more successful in these pitches.

Pandya is the kind of bowler who becomes even more potent when the conditions provide some swing. Pandya's only fiffer came in England in the 3rd Test in 2018. Pandya dismissed several top English batters, such as Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, in that spell.

Even in the recent T20 World Cup, Pandya performed well with the ball when the conditions offered some help for the pacers. With the bat too, he is more technically more sound than Thakur, which makes him more suited for English conditions.

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#3. Usually performs well for India in high-pressure games

In the past few years, Hardik Pandya has put in some excellent performances in high-pressure knock-out games for India. Chasing a target of 339 in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy Final against Pakistan, India were in all sorts of trouble at 54/5 in 13.3 overs. Hardik Pandya (76 runs off 43 balls) then scored an excellent half-century to bring some respectability to the Indian score.

His recent performances in the ICC World T20 semi-final against England and the matches against Pakistan in the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup proved that he is a player for big occasions.

India have lacked a player like Shane Watson or Gautam Gambhir who regularly put in spectacular performances in big ICC matches. Hardik Pandya, with his exceptional record in high-pressure games, could have been the necessary X-factor for India. Thus, his presence could have been a tremendous boost for India's chances in the ongoing WTC final.