Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has advocated for the inclusion of all-rounder Hardik Pandya in Test cricket to make the Indian squad unbeatable in red-ball cricket.
Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar feels that India’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya deserves to be part of the Test matches to make the Indian team unbeatable in red-ball cricket. The well-known cricket commentator stated that Hardik Pandya’s turnaround to the Test team may play a key role in India capturing a big win in Australia and winning the World Test Championship (WTC) in 2025.
The 30-year-old star was crucial in India’s victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup in June, following his comeback after six months of the injury he sustained during the ODI World Cup 2023 clash against Bangladesh at MCA in Pune. Upon his return, the star all-rounder took 11 wickets and amassed 144 runs in the T20 World Cup 2024.
The stylish right-handed batter has proved himself as an India match-winner in both ODIs and T20Is. That being said, it’s uncertain if the team management will heed Sunil Gavaskar’s advice or not to make him part of red-ball cricket.
The former India skipper is confident that the middle-order batter’s ability might be the turning point for Rohit Sharma and Co. in these crucial matches. The 75-year-old cricketer’s trust in Hardik Pandya’s future impact arises from his recent form and resilience. The Gujarat-born star has only played 11 Test matches in his career, though he has had glimpses of excellence that show he might play an important part as an all-rounder who is capable of bowling quickly.
“Over the next two months, the selectors should make a concerted effort to convince Hardik Pandya to return to the Test team. If Pandya bats at number 6 or 7 and bowls just 10 overs per day, his batting alone could make this Indian team virtually unbeatable, regardless of the conditions or venue,” stated Gavaskar to RevSportz.
The swashbuckling batter had 11 appearances in Test cricket for India, amassing 523 runs and bagging 17 wickets. Hardik Pandya played his last Test match for India against England back in 2018 before being sidelined due to an injury and concerns about managing his workload. However, the great all-rounder has stated that he is not prepared to play Test matches for India as he is unable to manage the physical challenges of performing in all three formats.
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