Hardik Pandya will be leading India in their first game of the three-match ODI series against Australia on March 17. The Indian team is preparing for the 2023 ODI World Cup and will look to make the most out of the upcoming ODI series to keep their preparations for the tournament on a high note. India will be missing the services of Jasprit Bumrah, who has recently undergone surgery for his back injury. Pandya has opened up on Bumrah's absence from the team.
Pandya, who will be stepping in the shoes of Rohit Sharma in the first ODI as a stand-in captain, has stated that Bumrah's presence adds big strength but the team is not bothered about his absence. "Bumrah hasn’t been around for quite some time now. The bowling unit has been doing a decent job. They’re all experienced now with the number of games they have played. Having Bumrah makes a massive difference but to be very honest, we aren’t much bothered because the guys who have taken the role of Jassi, I am quite confident they’ll be doing very well,” Pandya said.
Bumrah was out of cricketing action since September 2022 and was also ruled out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup due to a back injury. In his absence, Mohammed Siraj has turned out to be a go-to all-format bowler. Siraj has improved his game in limited overs after being a regular part of the squad in test cricket. Meanwhile, the stand-in captain Pandya has opened up on his participation in the WTC final also.
Pandya is away from test cricket since 2018. The all-rounder played his last test against England in Southampton. His addition to the test squad for the WTC final could have added a decent balance to the side but the all-rounder has decided to keep an arm-length from the summit clash, saying it won't be ethical to take someone else's space. “No. I am an ethically very strong person. I haven’t done 10% to reach there. I am not even a part of 1%. So me coming there and taking someone’s place will ethically not go well," Pandya said in a pre-match presser.
He added that he would like to grind and work hard for his place in the team. "If I want to play Test cricket, I’ll go through the grind and earn my spot. Hence, for that reason I will not be available for the WTC final or future test series until I feel that I have earned my spot,” he added.
