India Tour of Sri Lanka: Hardik Pandya ready for big show against Sri Lanka, ‘looking fit and ready to bowl’: India tour of Sri Lanka – Hardik Pandya: Is Team India’s dynamic allrounder Hardik Pandya set for a big show against Sri Lanka – if indications and message from the team camp are to be believed, the answer should be BIG YES. The good news emerging from the Indian camp in Colombo is that Pandya is improving his fitness with each passing day. He is rolling his arm without any discomfort, and that too very regularly in the net sessions and practice games – clearly indicating that ALL IS WELL with Hardik Pandya and his troubled back after a very very long time.
“He is looking very fit and ready to bowl. He is bowling in the nets quite regularly & raring to go’, said the source close to the team management currently in Sri Lanka
India Tour of Sri Lanka: Hardik Pandya can put up big show against Sri Lanka, ‘looking fit and good to bowl’
Pandya was also spotted bowling during team India’s second intra-squad match that India played last week. In the video shared by Sri Lankan Cricket on YouTube, the Indian allrounder from Gujarat was seen bowling to Prithvi Shaw. He bowled a short ball to Shaw which the latter pulled off towards the deep mid-wicket.
The video of fit-again Pandya with the ball in his hand is a great sign for India’s T20 World Cup hopes.
Not only with the ball but Pandya also proved his mettle while batting. The scorecard of the same match spoke volumes of Pandya’s form with the bat. Playing for Bhuvneshwar Kumar led India B side, he smashed whirlwind 79 runs with the bat, highlights on which were seen in the video posted by SLC before.
India tour of Sri Lanka: When was Hardik Pandya last seen in bowling action?
Ever since his return from the successful back injury, he has not been seen as a regular bowler. In the latest stint in Phase 1 of IPL 2021, Pandya didn’t bowl in the 7 matches he played for Mumbai Indians.
In fact, even in the previous IPL edition, Pandya refused to take the ball in his hand.
He featured for Team India during the tour to Australia where he served with the ball in just one inning (eco-6, wkt-1) in 3 match ODI series. Again in the T20I series, Pandya could not contribute with the ball because of discomfort in his back.
Similarly, against 3 match ODI series England, he appeared in just one innings where he bowled with 5.33 economy but went wicketless. He did, however, feature in the five innings against England in T20Is where he averaged 6.94 and scalped 3 wickets.
The Baroda all-rounder has slowed his bowling pace compared to what he used to bowl earlier. This has helped him leak fewer runs and turn more economical. Earlier, even India’s batsman Suryakumar Yadav on tour with Pandya for Sri Lanka hailed ‘Hardik Pandya is bowling and it is a very good sign.’
India Tour of Sri Lanka – New Itinerary for India vs Sri Lanka Series
| India’s tour of Sri Lanka, 2021 – ODI series | |||
| S.No. | Date | Match | Venue |
| 1 | 18th July | 1st ODI | Colombo |
| 2 | 20th July | 2nd ODI | Colombo |
| 3 | 23rd July | 3rd ODI | Colombo |
| India’s tour of Sri Lanka, 2021 – T20I series | |||
| S.No. | Date | Match | Venue |
| 1 | 25th July | 1st T20I | Colombo |
| 2 | 27th July | 2nd T20I | Colombo |
| 3 | 29th July | 3rd T20I | Colombo |
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