Fitter, calmer Hardik Pandya among upcoming leaders of Indian cricket

Hardik bowled non-stop for close to 40 minutes under the watchful eyes of Mhambrey, and further moved to fielding drills followed by another round of laps and sprints during his first training session with Indian side for the upcoming SA series.

Rahul Dravid kept his words. The first thing he did after completing India's first in-person media interaction in more than two years, was to rush to the ground and have a long chat with Hardik Pandya. Exactly like he had promised during the press conference at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday. Dravid had met Hardik only "a couple of hours" before the practice session as the all-rounder and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, unlike the rest of the squad members, were allowed an "extra day off" after a long and tiring IPL. The captain of IPL 2022 champions Gujarat Titans had joined the Indian team on Monday night instead of Sunday afternoon.

Hardik Pandya during practice session.(HT)

Following the elaborate discussions with the head coach, Hardik started warming up. Some stretching, a few laps, sprints, some more stretching, and a lap again marked what was easily the longest warm-up session by any Indian cricketer in the two days of practice that they have had in New Delhi ahead of the first T20I against South Africa.

Hardik then made his way towards the practice pitch just adjacent to the main strip where bowling coach Paras Mhambrey was waiting. The buck stopped there. All the commotion in and around the stadium seemed to disappear into silence. Hardik steadied himself. One step, two steps, another one and then a smooth yet brisk sprint culminating into a jump and release... The ball pitched around the good length area, probably where the fourth stump of a right-hander would be and just tailed away. A collective release of breath from those around meant that silence had once again given away to noise. Hardik had started to bowl in India colours.

Ever since that nasty back injury suffered in 2019, Hardik Pandya's bowling fitness has been like board results for Indian fans. There is way more focus than required, often resulting in unsatisfactory outcomes. 8 wickets and an economy rate of 7.28 in 183 deliveries in the IPL, should have been adequate proof of the all-rounder's bowling fitness but his dubious track record in the last 18 months or so made even his best supporters sceptical.

"It is very pleasing to have someone like him (Hardik Pandya) back. He is a fantastic cricketer with both bat and ball. We have seen that in the past with the Indian team in white-ball cricket and he has shown some great form in the IPL. From our perspective, the biggest thing is that he has started bowling again. You know what that does to us, what depth it brings to the side. So for us really, it would be about ensuring we get the best out of him as a cricketer, in terms of his bowling, in terms of his batting," Dravid said.

Hardik bowled non-stop for close to 40 minutes under the watchful eyes of Mhambrey. He was sharp. His 140-plus speeds in the IPL were here to stay, at least that's the indication he gave in his first practice session with the Indian side after last year's T20 World Cup in Dubai.

Hardik Pandya bowling during the practice session.(HT)

Hardik did not stop there. After his long bowling spell, he moved to fielding drills followed by another round of laps and sprints. He meant business. He appeared relaxed yet determined to turn the question mark around his fitness into a full stop.

For someone who had scored the most runs - 487 - in his side's IPL-winning run barely a week ago, it was surprising not to see him pad up and bat in the nets even once. The narration was pretty clear. Hardik the batter didn't need to prove anything more but Hardik the bowler needed to regain lost glory.

"You play similar roles that you play for your franchise and India. But sometimes the roles may be different, depending on the requirement of the team. We may require different things from different players based on our combinations and roles," Dravid said when asked about the Baroda cricketer's batting position.

Hardik 'the leader'

The five-match T20I series against South Africa will also mark the beginning of Hardik 'the leader' trying to make a valuable contribution through his leadership skills, which earned as much plaudit (if not more) as his batting and bowling for Gujarat Titans.

Dravid said one need not be bestowed with a designation in order to make an impact as a leader but agreed that Hardik was among the prominent upcoming young captains in Indian cricket.

"I think his leadership was impressive right through the IPL, he performed well. But I mean you don't need to be designated a leader to be part of any leadership group. Yeah, in terms of what happens ahead, whether someone leads the team or not, it depends on many factors.

"The selectors will take the decision based on what they see and what happens in the future, availability of players. It is great we have got a lot of Indian captains doing well in the IPL. Hardik was one of them, Rahul did very well for LSG, Sanju captained RR. Shreyas did it at KKR as well. It helps people grow and develop as players. It really helps you grow as a person also, having to make decisions. It is great from our perspective to see that," he added.