"Hardik Pandya the bowler hasn't really arrived yet" - Aakash Chopra raises doubts about all-rounder's bowling while praising his batting

Aakash Chopra has contrasting views on Hardik Pandya's bowling and batting performances in the T20I series against South Africa.

Hardik went wicketless in the five overs he bowled against the Proteas and conceded an average of 12.20 runs per over. On the flip side, he gave a good account of himself with the bat, with his 117 runs coming at an excellent average of 58.50 and an equally impressive strike rate of 153.94.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra picked Ishan Kishan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Dinesh Karthik and Harshal Patel as India's top four performers in the recently concluded series. While picking Hardik at No. 5, the former Indian cricketer said the following about his bowling:

"At No. 5, I have got Hardik Pandya. Hardik Pandya the bowler hasn't really arrived yet. We all feel that Hardik is going to bring balance but as of now, we have not seen that. We have just seen the trailer and not the picture. Have we actually seen enough, we haven't, so let's wait for that."

However, the former Indian opener was all praise for Hardik's batting. Aakash Chopra elaborated:

"But batting, he scored 117 runs at a strike rate of 154. Once again, like Dinesh Karthik, he is the only guy who can bat at that number, who else do you have. Rishabh Pant is struggling at the top itself, there is no talk of down the order. He (Hardik) did not score a fifty, but you don't get a fifty at that number."

Barring the second T20I in Cuttack, where he bowled three overs for 31 runs, Hardik did not get more than an over in any of the other matches. Team India are primarily looking at the big-hitting all-rounder to perform the sixth bowler's role if such a need arises.

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"There was pressure on him" - Aakash Chopra lauds Yuzvendra Chahal's performances

Yuzvendra Chahal was the most successful spinner in the series [P/C: BCCI]

Aakash Chopra picked Yuzvendra Chahal as another of Team India's star performers, explaining:

"Last but not the least, I am going with Yuzi Chahal. Yuzi's first two matches were not good. There was pressure on him about what had happened as it was six matches, two in this series and four in the IPL, where he had got very few wickets. But he didn't flounder but flourished under pressure."

The renowned commentator highlighted the leg-spinner's importance for Team India in the middle overs. Aakash Chopra observed:

"Form is temporary, class is permanent. We saw an amazing performance from him in Visakhapatnam. It felt good because if Yuzi Chahal bowls well, then India's bowling in the middle overs is managed well, you get wickets in that and India wins.

Chahal snared six wickets in the the T20I series against the Proteas. He received a mauling at the hands of the visiting batters in the first two games but bounced back brilliantly to snare a total of five wickets in the third and fourth T20Is.