India, Oct. 8 -- Hardik Pandya, India's premier pace-bowling all-rounder, is breaking down more frequently than ever before, and the frustration must be mounting for him and the team. Back spasms, a leg strain and now a shin injury: three different injuries in five months have derailed him.

Even as India looks to firm up its core for the 2027 World Cup, which is less than a year away, Hardik's breakdowns are more than an inconvenient roadblock. The team management has propped up Nitish Reddy and is nurturing Suryansh Shedge -- who replaced Hardik in India A for the Sri Lanka A series -- but there is a clear qualitative difference.

If Hardik is to make that trip to South Africa next year, he must be able to bowl all 10 overs and as thing...