India all-rounder Hardik Pandya will be in action soon when Team India will take on Sri Lanka in the limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka. However, due to his back surgery, he has been bowling quite less in recent times. And, his childhood coach Jitendra Singh believed he could lead the side, given the number of matches he has played so far across formats as well.
Hardik Pandya has scored 532 runs in 11 Tests (18 innings) at an average of 31.29 with one hundred and 4 fifties. Apart from this, he has been a regular face in white-ball cricket as well as his IPL franchise – Mumbai Indians. Meanwhile, his childhood coach, Jitendra Singh has said that he had no doubts about the all-rounder’s skill with the bat and also stated that he had the technique, skill and temperament to become a successful Test batsman.
“He can contribute. He has got the technique and temperament and maturity and if he gets an opportunity he can prove himself. The conditions don’t matter for him as his technique is sound and simple,” quoted Jitendra as saying by Cricketnext.
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He, however, was very disappointed that Hardik Pandya was not considered to lead the side in Sri Lanka. Notably, Shikhar Dhawan will lead the team and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be his deputy. Meanwhile, veteran India batsman Rahul Dravid has been named as the head coach of the team as well.
He further added about Hardik Pandya: “Definitely, I was. He could have been a great option as he can play for five to seven years. He has got new thoughts and has a lot of energy. He could have been a good investment (in captaincy) especially for the white ball format.”
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“No, he hasn’t at all. He remains the same Under-16 boy from the club days. To be honest, of late, he has taught me a lot of things because of his exposure and interactions with a lot of players and coaches who are active in international cricket. If you are a good human being, you will be a good cricketer as well. Cricket is a byproduct of your personality,” said Jitendra. “I want him to perform more as an all rounder. If his alignment and bowling action is better, he will definitely be. He is very serious regarding his bowling,” he concluded.
