Former Australian All-rounder Shane Watson hailed Hardik Pandya as the Special talent in world cricket and urged him to make a comeback in Test Cricket for India. Indian all-rounder has been an invaluable asset for the Indian team since his debut.
Shane Watson who is part of Legends League Cricket 2023 in Doha, Speaking to Hindustan Times said that if Hardik Pandya can work on his fitness to play red-ball cricket and then he can exciting addition to the Indian red-ball setup. Watson said that Pandya a technically strong in his batting, more than a finisher he can play up the order which he has been doing consistently for Gujarat Titans.
“If his body can handle the rigors of Test cricket then absolutely. He has got incredible skills even with his batting alone. He has got a very very sound batting technique. Yes, he is a power-hitter of the ball but everyone has seen him move up the batting order in T20 cricket, batting at No.4 for Gujarat Lions. Even in ODIs, he is not just a power-hitter. So from just batting perspective, he has got the game to perform in Test cricket,” he said.
Hardik Pandya has played 11 Test matches for India and has been out of the Indian Test team owing to his injury problems. Pandya has 532 runs and 17 wickets to his name in the red-ball format of the game but has not played in the traditional format of the game since September 2018.
I Would Love To See Him Push The Limits – Shane Watson
Shane Watson feels Pandya can be a crucial key in the cog of this Indian Test side in overseas series if can bowl a few overs as he got skills to bowl with the ball and said he wants the Gujarat Titans skipper to push his limits to become an all-format player for India.
“Bowling wise, if he is fit he charges in and he has got great skill. He can swing the brand new ball away and he would provide a huge impact on the Indian Test team. For me it eventually comes down to his body and whether it can handle the rigors of playing Test cricket as a fast-bowling all-rounder. I would love to see him push the limits as an all-rounder and cricketer,” Watson added.
Hardik Pandya will be leading the defending champions Gujarat Titans in the edition of IPL 2023. Indian Premier League 2023 will kick off on 31st March 2023, the opening match is between defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK).