Hardik Pandya has been India’s best pace-bowling all-rounder since Kapil Dev. But injuries have restricted him immensely. From 2019 to 2021, he played just 40 matches. His fitness improved a bit starting 2022, but an injury sustained in the ODI World Cup 2023 ruled him out for six more months. These constant and often long-term injuries have seen him play no first-class matches in nearly 6 years.
However, in the last week, Hardik has twice posted him bowling with the red cherry. This has certainly sparked hopes of his Test return. With the India vs Australia Test series two months away, this could be an indication that the star all-rounder is returning to red-ball cricket for the tour Down Under.
Gambhir’s expectation from Hardik Pandya
A big reason why Hardik could return is new head coach, Gautam Gambhir. After being appointed India’s commander-in-chief in July, Gambhir had stated that he doesn’t believe in one-format players. “I’m a very strong believer in one thing, that if you’re good, you should be playing all the three formats,” Gambhir had said in his first interview as Indian head coach.
“When you’re playing international cricket and you’re good enough, you ask any of the top players, they want to play all the three formats. They don’t want to stay and they don’t want to be labelled as red ball bowler or white ball bowler,” he’d further added.
Gambhir’s statement clearly shows what he expects from a player of Hardik Pandya’s quality. He clearly wants all the best players to play all the formats if they fit the requirements. His body might be fragile, but it won’t stop Gambhir from expecting him to play Test cricket for India.
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