Team India lost the all-important WTC final 2023 against Australia by a huge margin of 209 runs after which there’s a constant debate about the changes required in the squad. Former Indian Captain Sourav Ganguly has now urged all-rounder Hardik Pandya to reconsider Test Cricket as it can improve the team combination.
Ganguly reckons that the Indian team has got a lot of talented players who can be an integral part of the red-ball team. He also opined that Pandya will be a great fit for the Test side, especially in conditions like England where the team needs seam-bowling all-rounders.
“India has enormous reserves. When you look at some of the performances. I don’t consider IPL performances if we are sticking to Test cricket. In domestic cricket there are some fantastic players and you will only find out when you give them opportunities,” Ganguly said while speaking to Sports Today.
I want to see Hardik Pandya play Test cricket: Sourav Ganguly
“Whether it be Jaiswal or Patidar, Abhimanyu Easwaran from Bengal scores a lot of runs. Shubman Gill is young, Ruturaj Gaikwad and I hope Hardik Pandya is listening. I want to see him play Test cricket, especially in these conditions,” the former Indian captain discussed about Hardik Pandya’s inclusion in the test squad.
Ahead of the WTC 2023 final, Hardik Pandya was asked whether he would like to be a part of the squad for the marquee game. The mighty all-rounder stated that he hasn’t played any first class cricket since December 2018 and would like to earn a spot in the Indian test squad.
“If I want to play Test cricket, I will go through the grind, I will earn my position and then come back. For that reason, to be very honest, I will not be available or play the World Test Championship Final, or any future Test matches until I feel that I have earned my spot,”
Hardik has scored 532 runs 31.29 with four half-centuries and one century in 11 tests. He has also taken 17 wickets including a five-wicket haul. He sustained a back injury during the 2018 Asia Cup and hasn’t played test cricket since then.
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After the loss in the WTC 2023 final, there are speculations about a couple of changes required in the Indian test squad. It would be interesting to see whether the Indian team selectors consider Hardik Pandya for the longest format of the game.