ICC World Cup 2019 | Hardik Pandya can play Yuvraj Singh’s 2011 role, says Glenn McGrath

Probably the biggest driving force behind India’s World Cup win after a long 28-year wait in 2011 was the constant presence of Yuvraj Singh in crucial conjectures of the tournament, with the responsibility of seeing the team gets through falling more often than not on his shoulders. Having scored 362 runs at an average of 72.4 besides taking 15 wickets, he was rightfully named as the player of the tournament. Glenn McGrath believes the Men in Blue will be setting their eyes on the reliable Hardik Pandya to play this role for them in the upcoming tournament after the all-rounder has impressed time and again whenever given a chance.

“Pandya can play that role. DK (Dinesh Karthik) is a good finisher too. I think they have got the team to do well,” said McGrath.

The World Cup’s leading wicket-taker of all time, McGrath stated that the team had enough firepower in the bowling department, led by current world number one Jasprit Bumrah, to go far in the World Cup, though it would be interesting to see how they adapt to the conditions.

“Their bowling attack, with Jasprit Bumrah who is up there with the best ODI bowlers in the world. The lengths he bowls and bowls quality yorkers. He is a really good finisher. They have got the team to perform really well in this World Cup. Have to see how they go in the English conditions,” quoted McGrath.

However, talent is never enough to be the victors in a tournament with the World Cup’s magnitude and a team’s ability to soak pressure and handle tricky situations could be the difference between winning and losing. With one of the most capped players in the world at the moment in MS Dhoni, McGrath believes the Indian team has the key factor to tackle their obstacles in the quadrennial tournament.

“There is always a lot of pressure on them (the Indian team) in a big tournament. But, they have played well in big tournaments before. But English conditions, it is going to be interesting. Dhoni I think he is going to be a key player for India. The experience that he has and the way he goes about the game, he knows it so well, it will benefit India. And the way Dhoni finished recently in Australia in the one-dayers, they have plenty of other quality players. It is just about being consistent,” he remarked.

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