In 2016, then captain MS Dhoni had lamented on the lack of seam all-rounders in the India squad. The team then was going through a lean phase, with the bowling department had come up short during the tour of Australia.

As luck would have it, during that tour, all-rounder Hardik Pandya made his debut for the India Twenty20 side. Pandya has not looked back once since his first game in India colours. He went onto play for India that same year before earning his maiden Test cap in July this year. The Baroda cricketer has emerged as a vital member in the side.

As he takes a break from the hectic schedule that comes with representing India in all three formats, skipper Virat Kohli is facing a dilemma as the slot for a seam all-rounder lies vacant. Pandya’s absence has led to the selectors picking Vijay Shankar into the squad for the remaining two Tests in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka.

Over the past year, it has become evident that Kohli prefers Pandya in the scheme of things as he allows him an extra bowler and a handy batsman at the same time. As the team prepares for the tour of South Africa, the skipper felt that a back-up for this slot was vital to the team.

“We wanted to have a look at another all-rounder keeping in mind this aspect (batsman who bowls medium pace) of the team going forward,” Kohli said when asked about his take on Shankar being included in the squad.

“Obviously, Hardik is in our scheme of things as first all rounder but we need to find out more people with that kind of ability whom we can groom and make as back ups for all- rounder’s spot when we travel abroad.”

Finding a seam all-rounder in India, though, is a difficult proposition. A majority of the all-rounders in the domestic circuit are spinners who also bat. In the medium pace department, the options are few and far between.

Incidentally, Shankar, himself, was an off-spinner for the longest time before switching to medium pace to break into a spin-heavy Tamil Nadu outfit not too long ago.

The decision proved career-altering. Today, Shankar is sharing the dressing room with India’s premier cricketers.

The concept of a seam all-rounder, a role made famous by greats of the game like Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Ian Botham, Jacques Kallis and Andrew Flintoff, seems to have not caught fancy of most budding Indian cricketers in the last decade.

But, the importance of this role gains relevance when a team plays overseas, particular in countries like South Africa, England and Australia, where seam friendly wickets are common.

Other than India’s South African safari next month, Kohli & Co are also slated to visit England next year. Having a back-up for Pandya will be high on their priority list. But, its slim pickings for the selectors.

A look at the contenders...

Top pick

Vijay Shankar (Tamil Nadu)
Age: 26
With a batting average of 49.14 in first-class cricket, Vijay Shankar is a contender for the Indian team, irrespective of Hardik Pandya’s availability. At 26, Shankar has five centuries to his credit and is more of a batsman than a bowler, a rarity in this category. Since impressing in his break-out season in 2015, Shankar has successfully molded his game to be an all-rounder rather than just a middle-order batsman who can bowl.

This season, he produced a fine bowling performance against 41-time champions Mumbai, where he claimed four wickets before smashing a 100 against Odisha in the next game. Having represented India A previously, Shankar was always on the selectors’ radar. Pandya’s absence means the selector’s needed to look for options.

FC Matches in 2017: 3
Runs in 2017: 118
Wkts in 2017: 6
FC Matches Overall: 32
Runs Overall: 1671
Wkts Overall: 27
Bat Avg: 49.14
Bowl Avg: 42.81

Next in line

Rishi Dhawan (Himachal Pradesh)
Age: 27
Having made his first class debut at the age of 19, Dhawan has been on the circuit for a long time. The 27-year-old with his consistent performances has regularly made the list as one of the top all-rounders on the circuit. Dhawan is known to use variations and cutters wisely and can be quite handy with the bat as well.

He earned an international call-up during India’s ODI series against Australia in January 2016, but failed to impress with either bat or ball.

The emergence of Pandya pushed Dhawan further down the pecking order. At 27, the Himachal lad remains one of India’s top all-rounders. This season in the Ranji Trophy, Dhawan as so far contributed well with 14 wickets including two four-wicket hauls and a few handy knocks down the order.

FC Matches in 2017: 5
Runs in 2017: 273
Wkts in 2017: 14
FC Matches Overall: 64
Runs Overall: 2758
Wkts Overall: 262
Bat Avg: 39.97
Bowl Avg: 26.88

Ashish Reddy (Hyderabad)
Age: 24
With a batting average of 37.96 and 27 with the ball, Hyderabad’s Ashish Reddy is one the best seam all-rounders in the domestic circuit. A back injury saw him miss a large chunk of the 2016 season. This year, Hyderabad’s fluctuating fortunes meant the team was changed around a lot with the 26-year-old getting just a solitary game.

FC Matches in 2017: 1
Runs in 2017: 59
Wkts in 2017: 1
FC Matches Overall: 22
Runs Overall: 987
Wkts Overall: 53
Bat Avg: 37.96
Bowl Avg: 27.00

Long shots

Stuart Binny (Karnataka)
Age: 33
When the then India skipper MS Dhoni termed Stuart Binny as the best seam all-rounder in 2015, he wasn’t far off from reality. Despite his shortcomings as a player, he did fit the bill to be in the Indian team that was desperate for a seam all-rounder. The requirement now is the same. His recent form too has been positive. In the five games he has turned for Karnataka in this season, Binny has smashed one ton and two half centuries. With ball too he has been quite economical whenever called upon. At 33, age might not be on his side, but he does have experience of playing at the highest level. If India does require a back-up for Pandya overseas, then Binny’s presence (especially in swinging conditions) might just work best for India.

FC Matches in 2017: 5
Runs in 2017: 317
Wkts in 2017: 6
FC Matches Overall: 84
Runs Overall: 4252
Wkts Overall: 130
Bat Avg: 34.85
Bowl Avg: 32.20

Irfan Pathan (Baroda)
Age: 33
The former India all-rounder was handed the captaincy of the Baroda team at the beginning of the season. It appeared that Pathan was taking the season seriously and could even launch a comeback bid for a place in the Indian team. He began brightly in the first game, notching up a fine 80-run knock. However, after turning out for just two games, Pathan was stripped of his captaincy and dropped from the team in what reports claimed to be a rift between him and the selectors. While, many might argue that Pathan is past his sell by date, he does bring with him a wealth of experience. With few options available for the role in the country, Pathan might just be an ideal candidate if Pandya were to get injured in the future. His tussle with the selectors, though, could not have been more disastrously timed.

FC Matches in 2017: 2
Runs in 2017: 88
Wkts in 2017: 2
FC Matches Overall: 113
Runs Overall: 4096
Wkts Overall: 365
Bat Avg: 30.34
Bowl Avg: 28.64