This Hardik Pandya version is what India have been seeking all along

Over the past few years, almost everyone has had an opinion on what Hardik Pandya should be doing when donning the Indian blue. Some have labelled him a batter who could bowl. Some have talked about him being a bankable four-over bowler in T20I cricket. A few have also flirted with the idea of terming him a genuine all-rounder – someone who can win matches off either suit.

But when he looked a pale shadow of himself at the 2021 T20 World Cup, and followed it up with a lengthy recuperation period, many were left wondering if they were ever going to see Pandya unlock his massive potential. His talent has never been in doubt, especially considering he was once compared to the great Kapil Dev and was touted to bring that sort of balance and success to the Indian cricket team.

Till Thursday, those felt faint hopes. Not because Pandya doesn’t have the ability to conjure such performances. But because his injury record, plus infrequent international appearances, meant that the fans and possibly the team, had forgotten what he was really capable of.

In Southampton, everything fell into place beautifully. He was named the Player of the Match and produced the sort of display many felt he was always capable of. The only difference, though, was there seemed an inevitability about it. It didn’t seem an aberration. It didn’t seem an anomaly. It felt like a norm that might not have materialized much in the past couple of years, but might be very prevalent moving forward.

Post IPL 2022, there has been an inclination on Pandya and the Indian cricket team’s part to bat him slightly higher up. For the Gujarat Titans, Pandya primarily batted at No.4, often soaking up pressure and laying the foundation for the likes of David Miller, Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan to explode at the death.

He might not have that luxury in the Indian team, considering the Men In Blue are stacked with anchors of KL Rahul and Virat Kohli’s ilk. So, there was, quite understandably, a question mark over whether Pandya could recreate his heroics as a middle-order enforcer.

In the IPL, his numbers against spin weren’t great. He scored 201 runs against them but they came at a strike rate of 121.81. In the middle overs, his strike rate climbed up to 133.87 but it still felt a little short of where you’d expect Pandya to be. In the death overs, it crept up to 152.54 but considering he struck at 162.79 and 220 in 2021 and 2022, respectively, it felt something was missing.

During India’s recent glut of T20I games, he has put all those doubts to bed. Against South Africa, he was at his stroke-making best at the death in Delhi, bludgeoning 31 runs off just 12 balls. A couple of games later, he consolidated a bit before teeing off, finishing with 31 off 21 balls. And in Vishakhapatnam, he averted a possible collapse, crafting a vital partnership with Dinesh Karthik and ensuring that India posted an above-par total.

Hardik Pandya stroked his maiden T20I half-century on Thursday

On Thursday against England, Pandya walked into a slightly different scenario. Deepak Hooda, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav had injected plenty of impetus into the innings. Pandya could’ve taken his time but with England being backed into a corner, he started to attack from the outset.

He was severe against spin, despite Matt Parkinson tying him up for an over. Against pace, he showcased his entire repertoire of off-side strokes. He cut, he slashed, he cover drove and almost always found the gaps. The most poignant part, though, was how he had possibly two or three different ways of playing that situation.

As it turned out, the extra intent was needed from an Indian perspective, considering how powerful a batting unit England have. But had another wicket fallen, Pandya would’ve been just as adept at dropping anchor, nudging his way through the middle-overs before exploding towards the end.

With the ball, too, he was at his best. On a pitch where the ball was zipping off a back of a length, he resisted the temptation to try too many variations. Dawid Malan was accounted for with a stock ball. Liam Livingstone perhaps got a couple of steps ahead of himself and paid the price. The pacer put Jason Roy out of his misery, with Sam Curran also being hurried into a stroke that he usually nails.

So, in many ways, this was an outing that ticked every possible box. He batted. He batted with intent. He showed that he could shepherd India to an above-par total, and he illustrated that he could be a genuine match-winner with the ball too. Almost anyone who has watched Indian cricket would testify that they’ve known Pandya is capable of this.

The massive difference, though, is that he performed each of these aforementioned tasks in the same game, highlighting that this version is perhaps what India have been waiting for all these years.

He also became one of only five male cricketers (among full member teams) to pick up a four-wicket haul in T20Is and register a half-century. Two of the other all-rounders in that list are Dwayne Bravo and Shane Watson, largely considered the gold standard in the shortest format.

Pandya might not be there yet, at least in terms of the achievements and longevity. But in terms of talent, he isn’t far behind. Till a year ago, it felt that that translation from promise and potential into performance wouldn’t materialize often. Now, it seems that it could be just the mixture India have been crying out for.

It’s been a long wait. But now that it is here, you almost feel Pandya is capable of anything and everything. That’s probably become the overriding opinion at this point too.