India star Hardik Pandya, on Thursday (March 16), once again made it clear that he is unlikely to return to Test cricket any time soon. The star allrounder has not represented India in the longest format of the game since the tour of England in 2018.
Hardik Pandya made his debut in Tests during the tour of Sri Lanka in July 2017 and became an important member of the team soon. In his maiden Test innings, he smashed 50 runs off just 49 balls with the help of 5 fours and 3 sixes. So far, he has scored 1 century and four fifties in Tests in addition to taking a 5-wicket haul that came against England in Nottingham in a winning cause.
Hardik Pandya looked like an indispensable member of India’s Test team before injuries derailed his Test career. In recent years, he has been sidelined on several occasions due to back injury and it has probably played a key role in his decision to stay away from Tests for the time being.
Hardik Pandya on his Test career:
Since returning to action last year, Hardik Pandya has been focusing on white-ball cricket and it looks like he would continue to do so for the foreseeable future. With an ODI World Cup scheduled this year, he is unlikely to risk his fitness by playing Tests.
He has not played a Test since the back surgery in 2019 and is unlikely to return to the red-ball cricket any time soon. Speaking ahead of the first ODI against Australia, Hardik Pandya was asked about his return to Test cricket. With India scheduled to play the World Test Championship final later this year, Pandya could be a good option as an allrounder in the English conditions.
The allrounder, however, made it clear that he won’t play the final, saying that it would not be right on his part to take someone else’s spot without doing anything.
“No. I am ethically very strong person. I haven’t done 10% to reach there. I am not even a part of 1%. So me coming there and taking someone’s place will ethically not go well. If I want to play Test cricket, I’ll go through the grind and earn my spot. Hence, for that reason I will not be available for the WTC final or future test series until I feel that I have earned my spot,” Hardik Pandya told the media.
Meanwhile, Pandya will be leading the team in the first ODI as Rohit Sharma will miss the series-opener due to family reasons. The match is scheduled to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.