Hardik Pandya is in 'good shape', says Nick Webb

Team India's strength and conditioning coach Nick Webb says the support staff is backing Hardik Pandya in 'every way' it can.

Pandya underwent back surgery in October 2019 and hasn't played international cricket since the third T20I against South Africa in Bengaluru in September last year.

Team India's strength and conditioning coach Nick Webb has said all-rounder Hardik Pandya is in 'good shape', having spent nearly eight months recovering from back surgery.

“Hardik is going well and training hard at the moment. Whenever you’re dealing with a stress-related injury there is a lot that goes into the rehabilitation process,” Webb told Sportstar .

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Pandya underwent back surgery in October 2019 and hasn't played international cricket since the third T20I against South Africa in Bengaluru in September last year. His last ODI was the World Cup semifinal against New Zealand in Manchester.

The 26-year-old had proved his fitness in the DY Patil T20 tournament, where he excelled for Reliance 1, scoring two hundreds including a 158-run blitzkrieg that included 20 sixes. He even took a five-wicket haul.

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“Once you start bowling, you modify plans according to how a player responds. You also need to monitor their progress and look for any soreness present. From what I have seen of him in Dharamsala the other month, he looked in good shape and worked hard. Hardik is an important player for us and everyone within the coaching and support staff is supporting him in every way we can,” Webb added.

Pandya had returned to India's ODI squad for the home series against South Africa, which was eventually called off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.