New Delhi: Hardik Pandya's rise has been phenomenal over the past few months, no matter what the format he is playing in. Sunil Gavaskar has now extended important advice to the all-rounder asking him to follow David Warner's footsteps in becoming an all-format player for Team India.
“It’s still early days but Pandya has proven that he has it in himself to succeed in Test cricket. He is a bit like David Warner. I believe that Hardik will follow Warner’s footsteps and become a successful player in all three formats of the game,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying by NDTV.
“The most impressive aspect of this team was that they never took their foot off the pedal and the team wanted to win by the biggest margin possible. They enforced the follow-on in the last two Tests to win the games by huge margins and that tells you how ruthless they have become,” said former India opener.
Gavaskar also showered praise on Kohli's ability to draw such incredible performance from the team, despite the fact that many consider this Sri Lankan team as one of the weakest ever.
“It was a tribute to the spirit of the Indian team and the determination that Virat Kohli has brought to the team. Some people will say that the Sri Lanka team was not strong enough but it does not diminish the credibility of this Indian team.”
The original Little Master also put light on India's opening scenario in Tests, saying Murali Vijay might have to wait for a while considering the form Shikhar Dhawan has been in off late.
“The fact that Murali Vijay will be back soon will keep Shikhar Dhawan on his toes and considering how Dhawan has performed in this season, Murali Vijay may have to wait for his turn,” said Gavaskar.
Revealing his target for India's upcoming limited overs matches against the Lankans, Gavaskar expects a tougher series for Kohli and his men.
“India should win the series, but it will not be this easy. We have to remember that Sri Lanka defeated them in the ICC Champions Trophy and they will have to watch out for the hosts,” concluded Gavaskar
