Ian Chappell Column: Hardik Pandya - India's next Kapil Dev?

Hardik Pandya is potentially the pace bowling allrounder India has craved since Kapil Dev retired Pandya is a huge hit with the fans and was partly responsible for India dominating Australia in the recent ODI series However his biggest influence on the team could come in the Test arena A player like Pandya who has the ability to bat in the top six and also produce deliveries clocked at 140kmph gives a Test side the flexibility that leads to success under all conditions It affords India the opportunity to field a balanced attack of five bowlers no matter what the conditionsIndias Hardik Pandya sweats it out during a practice session in Trinidad last June PicAFPCan inspire teammates tooPandya not only has the skill to perform the role successfully but now that hes achieving consistency at international level his confidence has soared He also has the added attribute of being prepared to experiment and consequently his bowling is likely to be effective under a variety of conditions Allrounders with those attributes have the ability to change the course of a game quickly and in doing so inspire their teammatesFor India to be regarded as a truly great side they need to perform well under tough conditions and against extremely competitive opponents like Australia and South Africa If Pandya can adapt his bowling to succeed in those cauldrons mdash and theres no reason he cant mdash then India with a strong batting lineup is more likely to experience consistent overseas successThe other challenge Pandya will face mdash especially in Australia mdash is the needling highprofile players receive from the crowds This can have the effect of being either an inspiration or an imposition and the way Pandya handles the intense barracking will contribute to either his success or failureChallenges aheadIf he needs inspiration in this regard he only need look to former star Pakistan batsman Javed Miandad Miandad could be as annoying as a shovel grating on cement and he was constantly heckled in Australia but this only made him more determined Eventually Miandad was begrudgingly accorded the highest Australian sporting compliment Hes a bloody annoying opponent but wed love to have him on our sideWith his flamboyant style Pandya reminds me a little of the electrifying England allrounder Ben Stokes thats the outstanding and highly combative cricketer on the field rather than the citizen with a propensity for selfdestruction off itBoth players are aggressive in their approach and this often results in a match changing performance or a deflating and spectacular misfire Neither player is concerned with containment and this can lead to the odd profligate spell of bowling Equally their predatory batting approach is prone to occasional outlandish dismissals that leave fans groaning However when they succeed it can lead to quick runs or wickets in clumps either of which can change the course of a match At this stage Stokes has done it at Test level while Pandya only has the potential for such electrifying achievements This type of player reminds me of a colourful description that radio commentator Johnny Moyes once utilised to describe South Australias captain and ultraaggressive opener We all know Les Favell Moyes began some days he does and some days he doesnt Well today he didFans flock to the ground to watch electrifying players like Stokes and Pandya They hope to witness something exceptional so then they can boast Well today he didAussies the targetPandya left his imprint on the ODI series against Australia when he plundered three successive sixes from the bowling of legspinner Adam Zampa India went on to win that game after being in a precarious position when Pandya joined MS Dhoni at the creaseIn other games in that series Pandya made useful contributions with both bat and ball but it was only that performance that could be classed as matchwinning If Pandya can perform at a similar level in the Test arena then hell not only be regarded as a topclass allrounder but hell also improve Indias chances of winning worldwide