On Monday, India’s premier off-spinner Ravi Ashwin came in support of his Indian teammate Hardik Pandya at a conclave in Dubai where the Asia Cup tournament is currently underway. He said contrary to the popular perception, Hardik is “extremely gentle” and in fact, called him “a small kid”. The flamboyant all-rounder was immensely criticized for his below-par performance in the recent Test series in England which India lost 1-4.
Both Ashwin and Pandya were excluded from the Indian squad for the final Test at the Oval for different reasons. While Ashwin sustained an injury during the previous Tests and was replaced by Ravindra Jadeja, Pandya was dropped for his poor show in the crucial fourth Test in Southampton and he was replaced by the debutant batsman Hanuma Vihari.
During India Today’s session ‘India, India’ at the Salaam Cricket 2018 held at Hotel Address Boulevard in Dubai on Monday, Ashwin said, “He (Pandya) is an extremely gentle character. The way he comes out on social media is a reflection of his personality. If you have a one-on-one conversation with him you will feel he is actually a small kid.”
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The talks at the conclave focussed on Pandya, who has often been compared with legendary Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev. He had his moment to shut the critics after scoring a fifty and picked a five-wicket haul in the third Test at Trent Bridge, his highest point in an otherwise disappointing series.
When asked about his comparison with Dev, Hardik replied: “I am no Kapil Dev, I never wanted to be one. He is a legend, but let me be Hardik Pandya. I am good at being Hardik Pandya, I played 41 ODIS and 10 Tests being Hardik Pandya, not Kapil Dev.”
Most of the media houses found his response rude and not in the right taste. However, Ashwin felt that the player came “under the critical parameters a lot more”.
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Ashwin also felt that the young players will be having a great opportunity in the Asia Cup to shine for the country, especially in the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli who has been rested after a grueling England tour. He also felt the same about Pandya, one of the six players from England who will play for India in the multi-nation tournament.
