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'India missed Hardik Pandya's attitude to take on Australia in Perth': Clarke's fiery take on star all-rounder's absence
Michael Clarke underlined Hardik Pandya’s all-round value to India, saying his absence was deeply felt in the series opener.
Australia World Cup-winning captain Michael Clarke asserted that India missed their star all-rounder Hardik Pandya and premier paceman Jasprit Bumrah in the first ODI in Perth. India were thoroughly outplayed in the series opener, struggling to find rhythm across departments. Frequent rain interruptions disrupted the flow of the game, particularly affecting the visiting batters, who found it hard to rebuild momentum each time play was stopped and resumed.
The Indian bowlers also failed to cause much trouble for the hosts while defending a moderate 131-run target in a 26-over-per-side contest.
Clarke felt India’s attack lacked bite in Bumrah’s absence, saying his 145+ pace and control could have completely changed the outcome on that surface.
"First and foremost, they missed Bumrah. You add someone with Bumrah's class at 145+ on that pitch, though I still feel they didn't make enough runs, but with Bumrah, it's a very different attack," Clarke said on Beyond23 Cricket Podcast.
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He further underlined Hardik Pandya’s all-round value to India, saying his absence was deeply felt in the series opener. The Aussie skipper praised Pandya’s explosive middle-order batting, crucial seam bowling, and fearless attitude, calling him the kind of player who embodies Australia’s aggressive cricketing mindset.
"His bowling, if he's fully fit, is so important to India, whether it's T20, ODI or if he was still playing Tests. So he was significantly missed in the opening game. His power-hitting in the middle, the bowling and his attitude as well, that take on the Australian attitude, he's always played that brand of cricket," he added.
"I wish Hardik was still playing Test cricket": Clarke
Clarke expressed his admiration for Pandya, saying he wishes the Indian star still played Test cricket.
"I wish Hardik was still playing Test cricket. I just think he's the genuine bowling all-rounder," said Clarke.
The star all-rounder missed out on the Australia due to a quadriceps injury, which also forced him out of the Asia Cup final. The selectors picked Nitish Kumar Reddy to replace Hardik on the white-ball tour Down Under. He also got his debut cap in Perth and made a valuable contribution with the bat lower down the order, but failed to make much of an impact with the ball.
