England were bowled out for 161 and 317 in the Trent Bridge Test as India won by 203 runs. Picking up five wickets in the England first innings was Hardik Pandya and it was Jasprit Bumrah doing the same in the second.
The two 24-year-old pacers, Pandya is also a middle-order batsman, who played starring roles in the Indian win have another thing in common: Michael Holding doesn’t think they are as good as the fans in India feel they are.
During the course of the three Tests so far – England are leading 2-1 – Holding has said that Pandya is not a Test-quality all-rounder yet, and that Bumrah isn’t his pick to be India’s opening bowler.
Holding gave his thumbs-up to that attitude.
“Please go back and listen to or read what I have said about Pandya. I was more critical of the people who were telling me he is the next Kapil Dev, not of Pandya himself,” said Holding. “I have gone on to say that he is not the man to fill that sort of role as yet, batting at No.6 and bowling.
“What I am glad also to see is that I read somewhere that he had said he doesn’t want to be known as the new Kapil Dev; he is Hardik Pandya, which is the right attitude.”
