He was asked to play the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia, but he declined because he did not want to take the place of a regular red-ball player.
Leading Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya sparked rumors about his potential return to Test cricket on Thursday after he uploaded a video of himself bowling with the red ball during an England training session. Following the 30-year-old’s Instagram series of stories, Pandya bowling with the red cherry garnered a lot of attention on social media. The all-rounder with a history of injuries hasn’t played in a Test match since September 2018 and had lower back surgery in 2019.
Despite being asked to participate in the 2023 World Test Championship match against Australia, he declined the invitation, citing his desire to not replace a regular red-ball player. December 2018 marked his last first-class game.
With players like Shivam Dube and Nitish Reddy trailing well behind the vibrant Baroda cricketer, Pandya continues to be India’s top pace bowling all-rounder.
Social media videos appear to indicate that the all-round player is attempting to increase his workload ahead of the Bangladesh T20 series in October, but he has not yet informed the team management of his intentions for red-ball cricket.
After the June World Cup final, Pandya has only participated in two competitive matches, the T20s versus Sri Lanka.”It’s heartening to know that Hardik is bowling with red ball but has he really spoken to men who matter (chief selector Ajit Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma) about his intentions?,” a prominent member of the BCCI inquired.
It is anticipated that if he does not play any domestic red-ball cricket, he will not be directly selected for Test cricket, despite his ability to provide the necessary balance in Australia as the fourth bowler and No.7 hitter.
After missing the Duleep Trophy owing to workload management, it will be intriguing to see whether he plays red-ball cricket for Baroda.
