The Hardik Pandya journey: From leggie, to pacer to Galle

Bengaluru, July 27: Wednesday (July 26) marked the finest moment in Hardik Pandya's nascent cricketing career. He received the cap from skipper Virat Kohli to become India's Test cricketer number 289 in the on-going first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle. He gave glimpses of his talent too with a quick fifty.

So, who's Hardik Pandya? A new-gen player who took the fast route to Indian team through the Indian Premier League (IPL). At times, pre-conceived notions can hide the real picture from us. The funky haircuts, exotic tattoo and a series of selfies with his fellow stars do the same to Pandya too. They do not tell us the story of his struggle, rather they cloud our vision.

Listen to a few people in Baroda, the native of Pandya, the image of a boy who surmounted some pretty ordinary surroundings to enter the big league will emerge.

"I had seen him playing for Baroda in an Under-16 match (Vijay Merchant) against Mumbai in 2008. He made 200-odd in that match. Since then Hardik and his brother Krunal (now part of India 'A') have attended my coaching camps several times. If you are speaking about Hardik....he's a wonderful talent, he's a complete package and hopefully he will get a good run at the top level to prove and establish himself," said Jitendra Kumar, an early coach and mentor of Hardik.

That was a time when Hardik played some non-descript matches in Baroda purely for money (Rs 400) to sustain his livelihood. But former India stumper Kiran More came to know about this talented kid and offered free training at his academy. The chapter also coincided with an important transition in his career: from a part-time leg-spinner to full-time medium pacer, a lively one at that.

"His leg-spin wasn't nothing of note. In one of the club matches, we felt short of a fast bowler and asked Hardik whether he can step in. He did and it was surprising to see him bowl at a good pace and getting five wickets. So, we advised him to stick to pace bowling because he has all traits to become a good all-rounder," said More.

"Another person, we should be thankful for unearthing Hardik is former Baroda coach Sanath Kumar. After seeing his talent, Sanath gave lot of attention to Hardik and drafted him to the state T20 side and later the inclusion in Mumbai Indians side too helped him a lot to develop as a cricketer," said Jitendra.

Not that Hardik made a mighty impression straightaway in the circle. In his first season (2015), Hardik made 112 runs from nine matches and took just a wicket. The 2016 IPL season too was of disappointment as he made just 44 runs from 11 matches and grabbed three wickets.

After that he returned to Baroda to work on his game. "He had ordinary first two seasons in IPL and also failed to make a mark in international cricket too in whatever little opportunity he received. So, he came back to Baroda and we worked three weeks continously on his batting and bowling (wrist position, balance and alignment etc). He improved quite a bit after that," added Jitendra.

Around this time, Hardik got an unexpected call to the India 'A' side that toured Australia after Tamil Nadu pacer Vijay Shankar got injured. "It was a real turning point for him. He got a chance to pick the brains of Rahul Dravid (India 'A' coach) and that boosted his self-belief. He changed a lot as a cricketer after that trip," said Jitendra.

So, the journey that began from the humble maidans of Baroda has reached Galle in Sri Lanka. It's the result of his belief - as indicated by a tattoo on his elbow - in himself. Perhaps, it will push him to traverse several more miles.

Important persons in Hardik journey

Irfan Pathan
The India all-rounder once gave cricketing gear to Hardik and boosted his confidence.

Ricky Ponting
The coach of Mumbai Indians gave special drill to Hardik to tackle short-piched balls after he requested the Australian legend to help him in this regard. Did you trace a Ponting touch when Hardik pulled Nuwan Pradeep for a six at Galle?

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