Gavaskar urges India to adapt without Pandya

Sunil Gavaskar said India should stop looking for a like-for-like replacement for Hardik Pandya and instead adjust its team balance when the allrounder is unavailable, recommending at least four specialist bowlers and allrounders as the fifth and sixth options. Gavaskar made the comments after India’s five-match T20I series against the West Indies ended in a 2-2 draw. The fifth match, in Bengaluru on October 17, was abandoned because of rain. Only 7.4 overs were possible, and India did not get to assess its bowling in the shortened contest. The former India captain said Pandya’s combination of batting and bowling was difficult to replicate. Rather than searching for a player to perform the same role, Gavaskar said, India should consider options who contribute differently while maintaining the strength of the bowling attack. He cited Naman Dhir as one example, describing him as a batter who could also bowl a few overs. Dhir made an unbeaten 24 from six balls in the rain-shortened match. Gavaskar also pointed to Axar Patel as an allrounder able to complete a four-over bowling spell. Gavaskar warned that extending the batting order to number eight could weaken India’s bowling....