India all-rounder Hardik Pandya is all but set to make his comeback to international cricket as he will be part of the three-match ODI series against Australia. A report in Times of India suggests that he is fit and will be back in action next month. Pandya hasn’t played any form of cricket since the South Africa T20Is which took place in September.
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He suffered a back issue during the series and underwent a surgery in UK. Pandya now seems to be fit and will be back in action in January. As was the case last year, the team management might ask him to prove match fitness by asking him to play a Ranji Trophy match before the international fixtures.
Pandya’s back has troubled him for long. During the Asia Cup 2018, he suffered a back issue and sat out for long before making a comeback for Australia tour mid-series. He later missed the home series against Australia just before IPL but returned for World Cup 2019.
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Pandya was later rested for the West Indies tour due to the same issue and again sat out after playing South Africa T20Is. In his absence, the team management has tried out Shivam Dube in T20Is and ODIs.
His comeback could see Dube lose his place in ODIs as he was dropped from the playing XI after the first ODI, where he made his debut, in Chennai. Dube might keep his place in the T20I squad.
Apart from Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah is also in line to make his much-awaited comeback but he might only be part of the T20I series against Sri Lanka. Bumrah suffered a stress fracture in his back and was ruled out of the South Africa Tests in October.
Shikhar Dhawan will also be back in action. He missed West Indies series due to a knee injury which he suffered during Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Maharashtra. India play Sri Lanka in three T20Is and Australia in three ODIs before flying to New Zealand for a full-fledged series.