Hardik is an extremely talented player says Kumble. Image Source: twitter[/caption]Internet Desk: Team India coach Anil Kumble has heaped huge praises on Hardik Pandya saying the Mumbai Indian cricketer in his short stint for India in the shorter format, has raised hopes of a genuine all-rounder for India in test format. Kumble, who was having an interaction with the media on the sidelines of the practice session ahead of the first test at Rajkot, feel Hardik has all the potentiality to become a genuine all-rounder.
“He is an extremely talented player. Even when he first came into IPL, he showed what he is capable of. Yes the shorter format is totally different. But I think he has shown his potential that Hardik in his short glimpse at T20 and even in ODIs when he bowled in Dharamsala and batted in Delhi. He is a quality player and that’s why we have backed him into the test squad because the importance of an all-rounder is immense. If someone can play the part of a fifth bowler, or someone who can bowl at 140 and give you the option of batting well lower down the order, it’s a good option to have. We are really looking at how Hardik develops. We do not want to put too much pressure on him. We will give him the full freedom to express himself in test cricket whenever he gets an opportunity. He is a quality player who we will back.”
Kumble is a satisfied man to see his team doing well in tests. So far in the last six test matches, India has managed to win all the tests except the one at Jamaica. Asked about the forthcoming series against England, Kumble emphasized on adapting to the conditions.
“I think New Zealand was a very hard fought series. Result certainly shows it was a 3-0 win for us. But we exactly know how hard we had to compete to get the result and what was really nice to see was all the three surfaces were very different. So our team really adapted well to the condition and that is our strength. Yes we certainly look at opposition and try and seek what their strengths and weakness are. But yes having said that England certainly has a quality side. Alistair Cook’s been here on number of occasions. He is a quality player at the top. Joe root and their batting line up. Their bowling attack has troubled is in the past and that is something we will be look at. Having said that what we would like to focus on is what we can do.”
Taking forward to the question, the Indian coach was asked to compare the England team which won the last series in India.
“You can certainly look at history and analyse the way you want to. But it’s a totally different England team that has come here to play. It’s a new Indian team that is playing against England. Yes, there have been some players who played in last series. But it’s a totally different series. For us what is really good is we have been playing test cricket right from West Indies. Yes there were five one dayers and a couple of T20’s in Florida. Other than that it’s been seven test matches in a row. We have seen the development of the team in the last seven matches and that is healthy. Like I mentioned every player is looking forward to these five test matches series. Immediate performances are what really matters for us and we would like to take that confidence in the series ahead.”
The Indian team will be without Rohit Sharma, who is likely to undergo a surgery. The former Mumbai Indians mentor feel sorry for Rohit who was just showing signs to do well in test matches.
“We are a bit disappointed with a few injuries to our squad. But then injuries are part and parcel of the game. It’s unfortunate. Especially I feel really sad for Rohit because he was doing really well in the test format. Obviously we all know his importance in the shorter format. But unfortunately he had to miss out on the test series.”
Lastly, Kumble declined to comment on the likely combination. According to Kumble, “We still haven’t figured out what combination to have. Obviously everyone is available for selection. With Hardik being part of the squad we have more options. So we still haven’t decided on the composition. It is the first test match here at Rajkot. We have played one day cricket and T20 cricket at this venue. In a test we do not know how the wicket is going to play but it looks a good surface. We still have a couple of days to go, so we will decide on the composition later.”
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