"Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant can definitely form a pair like Yuvraj and Dhoni were"- Sunil Gavaskar
Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar was delighted with Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya's coming-of-age partnership that helped India get over the line in the series decider against England in Manchester on Sunday (July 17).
India were in a precarious situation at 72/4 when Pandya joined Pant at the crease. The all-rounder ensured that the scoreboard kept on ticking and that helped the southpaw get his eye in.
After Pant reached his half-century, he changed gears and runs began to flow from both ends. Their huge stand of 133 runs helped India get to the brink of a famous win. Gavaskar believes the two complimented each other really well, just as former cricketers Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni did in their prime.
Speaking to Sports Tak, here's what the 73-year-old had to say about their partnership:
"Yes, Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant can definitely form a pair like Yuvraj and Dhoni were. Both had the ability to hit huge sixes and also ran well between wickets."
Hardik - pant today. https://t.co/8VtJXDgPyd
Hardik Pandya made his comeback at the right time: Sunil Gavaskar
Along with the bat, Pandya was sensational with the ball as he picked up his best ODI figures of 4/24. Gavaskar feels a fit Hardik is extremely crucial for India to compete in World Cups. On this, he stated:
"Hardik has made his comeback at the right time because India desperately needed an all-rounder. Now they have both Pandya and Jadeja who can bat as well as bowl ten overs. You look at teams who won world championships in 1983, 1985, 2011 and 2013, all had good all-rounders."
Pandya's workload management will be amongst the board's top priorities with a T20 World Cup and an ODI World Cup to be played in the next 18 months. When he bowls at full throttle, India arguably don't have a better alternative.