"The Indian team has only 5 bowlers" - Sunil Gavaskar says Hardik Pandya getting ruled out of the 2023 World Cup is a massive setback
Sunil Gavaskar believes Hardik Pandya being ruled out of the 2023 World Cup is a massive blow for India as it compromises the team's balance.
Hardik missed India's last three matches of the tournament after injuring his left ankle in their clash against Bangladesh. He has now been ruled out of the remaining games as well, with Prasidh Krishna taking his place in the squad.
During a discussion on Star Sports, Gavaskar was asked how big a setback Hardik's absence would be for India, to which he responded:
"It's a massive setback because he used to do two things - batting and bowling. The team is not getting the balance with him not being there. We got Suryakumar Yadav because of that and Mohammed Shami has performed exceedingly well but the problem is that the Indian team has only five bowlers."
The former India skipper highlighted that the all-rounder getting ruled out will imply that the Men in Blue won't have a proper sixth bowling option. He explained:
"When Hardik Pandya used to be there at No. 5 or No. 6, he could bat as a finisher and if required, he could bowl three to four, or even seven to eight overs if one of the five bowlers was having a bad day. So Hardik Pandya was useful in making up those overs."
Suryakumar Yadav played as a specialist batter at No. 6 in Hardik Pandya's absence in the last three games. While the hosts beefed up their bowling by including Mohammed Shami in the team at Shardul Thakur's expense, they don't have a frontline sixth bowler in case of an exigency.
"It is an amazing compliment for the Indian team" - Irfan Pathan on Team India maintaining their momentum in Hardik Pandya's absence
![Mohammed Shami has stood out with the ball in India's last three games. [P/C: AP]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/eefe6-16990976224992-1920.jpg?w=500)
Irfan Pathan highlighted that the Indian team deserves to be praised for maintaining their momentum even in Hardik Pandya's absence. He stated:
"You feel an all-rounder's absence for sure but it is an amazing compliment for the Indian team because even when a fast-bowling all-rounder like Hardik Pandya gets injured, your winning momentum is not impacted and your team plays amazing cricket."
The former India all-rounder pointed out that a formidable team like England have endured a horrendous run in the World Cup as they couldn't put together a proper combination. He stated:
"Probably any other team would have stumbled totally because of the unavailability of a fast-bowling all-rounder. We have seen England, who were playing regular cricket, being forced to make a few changes and they were completely shaken. They have been totally destroyed in this World Cup."
Pathan highlighted that India have changed their template by compromising their batting depth to beef up their bowling in Hardik's absence. He added that the move enabled them to easily defend a 229-run total against England in Lucknow even though the ball was getting wet.