An untimely injury to Hardik Pandya has disrupted India’s order heading into the second half of the World Cup 2023. The ace all-rounder twisted his left ankle while attempting to stop the ball in his follow-through in his first over during the Bangladesh innings. With him being taken for scans at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, Pandya will miss the next game against New Zealand in Dharamsala on Sunday and join the team in Lucknow for the England game.

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Following BCCI’s confirmation on Pandya, the question arises who would replace him in the XI for the marquee clash? Will it be the emerging star Ishan Kishan or T20I stalwart Suryakumar Yadav, or will India opt for a different strategy and play four frontline bowlers, including Mohammed Shami?

India opted for a different template in the lead-up to the World Cup, playing Shardul Thakur at number eight for extra cushion in batting, contrary to what they mostly do – play with seven batters and four bowlers. With this new mantra working so far, India might try and find the right way to maintain the balance.

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Would an extra batter work?

Going by the famous saying in the game, ‘On a good batting wicket play an extra bowler, and on a good bowling wicket play an extra batter’, India could be tempted to play an extra batter in Dharamsala against New Zealand – a team with perhaps the best seam and swing bowlers. Considering the history between both teams in the ICC events, India would hate to suffer the same fate of losing wickets to the trio of Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry.

So, what should they do? With Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul applying themselves well in their designated positions so far, shuffling them to accommodate anyone wouldn’t make much sense. So that leaves India with Suryakumar Yadav playing at six in Hardik Pandya’s absence. 

But it means India will go in with five outright bowling options, another risk against the Kiwi batters who are in great form.

How about adding an extra bowler?

On a wonderful and even Dharamsala track, where the movement of the ball is more than at any other venue, an extra seamer, that too Mohammed Shami, will do a world of good to India. 

With four pacers, including Shardul, and two spinners, Kuldeep and Jadeja, the Indian Team will have a chance to tear into the Kiwi batting lineup and end their winning run in this competition.

However, India and New Zealand are sitting at the top of the points table with four wins in as many matches.

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