INDvENG 2nd Test: Hardik Pandya offers bizarre explanation for Kohli's decision to pick two spinners

Hardik Pandya has defended Team India's batting performance in the ongoing second Test against England. The Virat Kohli-led side was bowled out for just 107 at Lord's, after the opening day of the match was washed out.

The second day of the Test, which was effectively the first day, saw the Indian batting being blown away by the English fast-bowlers. Veteran James Anderson picked up a five-wicket haul and was ably supported by Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran. On Day 3, Woakes struck an unbeaten hundred and Jonny Bairstow scored 93 to take the hosts to 357/6 at stumps.

The Indian batsmen seemed clueless against the top-class swing bowling, with the majority of them getting out after nicking it. Hardik, though, felt that it wasn't really the batsmen's fault. "Any team would have got the score we got. There was slight drizzle and the wicket was wet," he said.

 

The all-rounder even rued the fact that the conditions changed drastically on Saturday, making it easier for the English batsman. "The conditions when we bowled today were completely different. It was a proper wicket today. On the opening day, the conditions weren't what we expected. Today's conditions were what we expected," he said.

Hardik even offered an odd explanation for India's decision to play two spinners. England have gone in with just one tweaker in Adil Rashid. They managed to bowl India out in just 35.2 overs, with their leg-spinner not having a bowl at all.

Hardik said that India's decision to play two spinners - Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav - was the right one. He said that they would've come to use of it was a five-day game. 

 

"There was obviously some thought. I don't get much into it. I thought three pacers was enough. We bowled properly and put in the desired effort. As I said, today's wicket was the wicket we expected. I think it was the right call (to play two spinners). If it was a five-day game, the spinners would've come to use. But because of the rain, the match is shortened. There weren't many foot marks so it wasn't gripping that much. If this was a five-day game, things would've been different," said Hardik.

This seems a flawed argument. It's not as if the Indian team management didn't know what the conditions were before Kohli went out for the Toss. The coin flipped only on Day 2 after rain wasted the day before that. India knew very well that the match is 'shortened' and what the weather was going to be like over the course of the game.

 

Hardik's explanation that the team didn't expect the wicket they got when they batted is questionable. The weather in London has been overcast all week. The all-rounder also said that things would've been different if it was a five-day game. But the match only started with four days left, so India can't defend their decision to play two spinners on that basis.

There has been a lot of discussion about whether Hardik is a batting all-rounder or a bowling all-rounder and the maverick from Baroda put it how he perceives himself.  "If I am batting, I think as a batsman and if I am bowling, I think as a bowler. I don't have any one particular role."

He further added: "My role when I bowl, I like to keep it tight and try to make sure that the batsman make mistakes. I don't try much stuff. Keep it tight and let's see what they do. And we know that they love to play shots and playing like that you will tend to make one mistake. We were expecting that they will (make mistakes)."

The Toss played a big role as England captain Joe Root was able to make most of the helpful bowling conditions but the Indian all-rounder made it clear that he never believed that there's any such thing called luck in cricket. 

"I don't believe in luck too much. Whatever happens is down to hard work. And this is a game, where they won the toss and put us into bat. If we had won the toss, we could have had them in the same position. But it is not.  Luck doesn't come into this, and it is just a way of saying things. We will keep working hard and try hard and see what happens then," said Hardik.