T20 World Cup 2021 | Think playing Hardik Pandya was a big mistake, quips Brad Hogg
Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg has said that playing Hardik Pandya was a big mistake in the Indian team against Pakistan on Sunday, October 24. Pandya was hit on the shoulder by Shaheen Afridi’s bouncer while batting and he didn’t take the field during Pakistan’s successful chase of 152 runs.
Asked to bat first, India managed to amass 151/7, thanks to skipper Virat Kohli (57) and Rishabh Pant (39). Shaheen Afridi took three wickets, Hasan Ali scalped two, while Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf took one wicket each. In reply, Pakistan chased down the target without losing a wicket as skipper Babar Azam (68) and Mohammad Rizwan (79) stitched an unbeaten partnership of 152 runs. Brad Hogg was analyzing the match on his YouTube channel and he said playing Hardik was a big mistake.
“I think it was a big mistake playing Hardik Pandya,” quipped Hogg.
Hardik’s place in the Indian team has been criticized by several former cricketers since he hasn’t been bowling due to niggles. The Baroda all-rounder was taken to the hospital after he was hit on the shoulder while batting.
Hogg added that he would have gone with Shardul Thakur in place of Mohammed Shami and Ravichandran Ashwin in place of Pandya.
"The only other way I would have gone is Thakur in place of probably Shami and Ashwin for Pandya. In that case, you can have Jadeja batting in at 6, Thakur at 7 and Ashwin at 8. Pandya has got to be bowling if he wants to be in the playing XI. He has got a lot of talent, but he is just not a frontline batter," he added.
India will play next against New Zealand on Sunday, October 31 in Dubai.