Pakistan’s spinners face their worst nightmare: Hardik Pandya

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“There was a time when I didn’t know what was next for Hardik. So I had to get very involved in my thought process and then questioned myself: What do you want from life?” he once said. Answers found, confidence rediscovered, he hit higher gears to emerge as one of the world’s preeminent white-ball all-rounders.

Technical mastery

The demolition of spinners is just one facet of his upgraded game, and it’s a fascinating, if old-fashioned, sight. Unlike when lining up to swipe the seamers where he goes deep into the crease, clears his front leg, and swings smoothly through the line, he remains nearly static against spin. He judges the length, and if it remotely intrudes into his arc, he makes the requisite adjustment and lets his arms take over.

He is not heavily muscled; the build is wiry rather than stocky. But he generates blinding power from his arms, stable lower body, high bat-swing, and seamless transfer of energy. Anything full, irrespective of length, he latches onto and deposits according to the ball’s line with a neat, straight bat. Those remotely short, he flat-bats. Namibia’s left-arm spinner Bernard Scholtz erred just slightly on the shorter side outside off-stump, but Hardik had adequate time to get under the ball and pulverize it over long-off. He reads spinners from the hand, which naturally gives him time to frame his responses. But even when he misreads, he has fast hands and a faster brain to devise remedial measures.

Hardik Pandya in action during game against Namibia. (AP photo)

In that sense, he’s the perfect batsman to deal with Usman Tariq’s paused round-armers. He can out-pause the pause. The purpose of the delayed release is to second-guess the batsman’s intention through foot alignment, but Hardik’s feet telegraph nothing when facing spinners. He’s so quick that he waits for the ball’s descent before unleashing his strokes. He’s also masterful at hitting sixes off various lengths. Even when he doesn’t get to the pitch of the ball, his hands and bat-speed ensure he can still deposit it into distant tiers.
Big hitters tend to premeditate or go too hard with rigid hands. Not Hardik. He shows that well-worn methods remain effective against new-age tricksters.

Nullifying all threats

The leg-spin of Abrar Ahmad is unlikely to vex him either. Though Abrar differs from bowlers like Adam Zampa (whom Hardik has bullied in recent times) and Rashid Khan, with a higher release point and more deceptive leg-break, Hardik’s dancing feet can nullify his shrewd shuffling of lengths. Hardik also renders the surface irrelevant. He doesn’t need a belter to prosper; he can wreak havoc on slow, sluggish decks where batters struggle to hit through the line.

Like all adept players of spin, he has a vast spread of strokes. He deploys a violent slog-sweep, a more controlled standard sweep, conventional shots with a mighty whip of his wrists, and late cuts. He can dance down the track and power the ball down the ground.

Hardik Pandya batting with Shivam Dube. (FILE photo)

Watch him closer and the finesse emerges: nimble feet, pliant wrists. He’s not just an all-muscle aggressor but possesses a simple, refined, and flexible technique that allows him to access different parts of the ground without unnatural adjustments. He makes such good connections that even slight mis-hits can clear the fence. Moreover, he has the daring mindset to dominate all bowlers, pace or spin, with clarity in his role as a middle-order enforcer.

Match-up tactics don’t work against him. He dominates all kinds of bowlers when given license to unshackle. When Shivam Dube bats, opposition captains can summon the seamer and try to bounce him out. But such tactics fail against Hardik. Not surprisingly, he’s India’s most important white-ball cricketer. Since the 2024 World Cup triumph, in which he was influential, he has averaged 35.53 with a strike rate of 179.46 in the 26 games India have won. Add to that 20 wickets and his relentless dominance of spin bowling.
For mystery spinners, Hardik Pandya remains the most dangerous address on the cricket field.