West Indies fast bowling great Michael Holding has been in the headlines of late after his comments on India’s Hardik Pandya.
The legendary pacer had said that Pandya was ‘nowhere close to Kapil Dev’ while questioning his suitability to the role of India’s seaming all-rounder.
The India all-rounder had then hit back at his critics following his maiden five-wicket haul in India’s 203-run win over England in the third Test at Edgbaston.
During India’s tour of South Africa at the start of the year, the West Indies man had also cast doubts over Jasprit Bumrah’s suitability to take the new ball for India and had claimed that he would not pick him for the series in England.
Bumrah returned from a thumb injury to bag seven wickets in Nottingham including a five-wicket haul in the second innings. His hostile spell with the second new ball during England’s second innings resulted in the wickets of Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes in quick succession as India fought their way back into the five-match series.
Despite that display on his maiden Test in English soil, Holding is still not convinced by Bumrah’s new ball abilities.
“I would still not have him (Bumrah) as my opening bowler. Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami do a bit more with the brand new ball and they will remain my opening bowlers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s absence,” Holding said to the Times of India.
Bumrah picked up 5-85 in England’s second innings at Trent Bridge.
“What I have seen is he can get the ball to straighten from wide of the crease and is more effective with the slightly older ball.”
“What you have to remember is that in England, with so much assistance from both pitch and atmosphere for the quick bowlers, Bumrah will get the odd ball to straighten on the right-handers’ off-stump, although his action doesn’t enhance his ability to do so.
“The same delivery in South Africa, Australia, etc would not straighten as it can tend to do in England. He has pace, though, which is a welcome asset that cannot be bought.”
The former pacer also clarified his previous comments on Pandya.
“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. I have gone on to say that he is not the man to fill that sort of role as yet, batting at number six 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,” Holding said.
