Hardik Pandya has ability to become a good all-rounder, feels Kapil Dev

IANS

New Delhi: Team India have long been reliant on spinners with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja making the difference in most of India's victories. However, former Indian skipper Kapil Dev reckons that squad now had a bunch of classy seamers that Virat Kohli can rely on too.

The spin combo of Ashwin and Jadeja has been instrumental in India's journey upto the No. 1 spot on Test rankings. Their repeated performance not only with the ball, but also with the bat has proved worthwhile in India's 13-Test-matches long home tour. In fact the duo had surpassed the formidable Aussie pair of McGrath and MacGill after their home series to become the most lethal bowling pair. In the ongoing away series against Sri Lanka, the duo had made a difference in both the Test matches to script Team India's unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test match series.

READ: Ashwin-Jadeja spin combo has been instrumental in India's rise to 'No. 1 Test team'

Regardless of their dominance, cricket legend Kapil Dev feels that nowadays Team India have also become quite reliant on pacers too. And one wouldn't deny that, especially remembering the Australia tour and the other series too. Umesh Yadav and his lethal reverse swing was enough to defy the formidable Aussie batting line-up. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is another seamer whose in-swingers with the new ball have been worthwhile in scalping the early wickets.

Kapil said, "Today we have started depending on fast bowlers. There was a time we didn't have any fast bowlers and today we have so many fast bowlers. The people who are sitting out could have played for India any day."

Apart from the regular pacers, Team India also has a seamer all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who made his debut in Whites, in the first Test match against Sri Lanka, at Galle on July 26. He notched up a blazing fifty and scalped a wicket in India's victory in the first match. He has brought back the balance within the team – claimed many after his impressive show at Galle.

Kapil said, "He has the ability (to become a good all-rounder) and he has to keep on performing."

Right after the first Test match, skipper Virat Kohli had drawn comparisons between Pandya and his English counter-part Ben Stokes. "At home, it has been different but when you play away, one guy gives you a lot of balance. I think Hardik can be that guy going ahead, especially playing so much cricket away from home. If he grows in confidence – you see someone like Ben Stokes, what he does for England. He brings in a great balance as an all-rounder. I see no reason why Hardik can’t become that for India,” Kohli had said.

Team India will be aiming for a complete Lankan whitewash when they take on the hosts for the final Test match at Pallekele, on August 12.