At present, Hardik Pandya is “a turtle, not a rabbit”. Having been at the receiving end of injuries that had an adverse effect his performance, Pandya wants to take it on a gradual basis, especially when it comes to his bowling.

However, he is keen to increase his bowling workload in order to prepare himself for the ODI World Cup in October-November.

“My body is fine. I have to bowl more overs and get my workload up for the World Cup. “I’m a turtle right now, not the rabbit. And I’m hoping everything goes right as the World Cup comes on,” Pandya, leading India in regular captain Rohit Sharma’s absence, said after their six-wicket defeat in the second ODI against the West Indies in Bridgetown on Saturday.

India’s coming assignments and the Asia Cup will be giving Pandya more opportunities to gradually build on his bowling workload leading up the World Cup.

Limiting himself to playing only white-ball cricket since his comeback in IPL 2022, Pandya has been used sparingly as a bowler in international games in recent times due to a spate of injuries in his shoulder and back. In this year’s IPL too, he didn’t bowl much. In the ongoing ODI series against the Windies, Pandya bowled three overs in the first game in Bridgetown and took one wicket, giving away 17 runs. On Saturday in the second ODI, he went wicketless.