Hardik Pandya gives right balance: Anil Kumble

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, inspired a match-winning performance from the team bowlers with his three wickets against New Zealand at Dharamsala last Sunday which has earned him the praise of head coach Anil Kumble. Pandya’s presence in the XI gives the right balance to the team, Kumble said on Wednesday, the eve of the second one-dayer against New Zealand at the Kotla.

Appreciating the set of skills Pandya posseses, Kumble held that Team India could get a lot out of the rookie all-rounder.

“I think Hardik is someone who gives us the right balance because he can bowl and that too at a pretty decent pace. It was nice that he really bowled well in his first game with the new ball. That was certainly a strategy that M.S. (Dhoni) wanted Hardik to try. And it’s really heartening that he came out with the man of the match award in his first game,” said Kumble.

Going into Thursday‘s game, Pandya can take a lot of heart from his performance in his debut match and will be high on confidence. Kumble said that all-rounders like Pandya were an asset to any team.

“All-rounders, who can run in and bowl quick and bat are certainly an asset and he is someone we will closely monitor and see how he progresses. We will expect Hardik to give us that 7-8 or 10 overs which certainly gives us a better balance in the team,” Kumble added.

However, the team management understands that it will be too early to expect too much from the 23-year-old from Gujarat. “We do not want to put pressure on him by giving him definite plans of what is expected of him. He is someone who likes freedom and that’s exactly what we have given someone like Hardik. We don’t want to burden the younger player. Even with his batting, he has all the freedom, doesn’t really matter what the situation is,” Kumble stressed.