"He should come back to Test cricket because that's what he will be remembered for" - Sourav Ganguly on Hardik Pandya
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly vouched for Hardik Pandya's presence in the Test setup. The all-rounder has been a vital cog in Team India's white-ball squads after making a comeback in 2022 but is yet to return to the longest format.
Hardik's last Test appearance came during the tour of England in 2018. Since then, he has battled injury issues, which have impacted his bowling ability, especially in terms of delivering long spells. He lost his place in the Test squad as a result and featured primarily as a pure batter in white-ball cricket.
He took some time off following Team India's disastrous T20 World Cup 2021 campaign. The all-rounder worked on his fitness and featured as a full-fledged player, leading the Gujarat Titans (GT) to the title in their very first season in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Speaking to the Times of India, Ganguly stated that while Hardik is a white-ball specialist, he will also be a huge asset to the Test team. He said:
"There will be specialists in T20s. There's Hardik Pandya although I still feel he is an asset in Test cricket also and he should come back to Test cricket because that's what he will be remembered for. He is a specialist in ODIs and T20Is. But he is a very special cricketer."
Hardik was also recently asked about his Test team aspirations now that he has made a full return to cricket, especially with the World Test Championship (WTC) final in overseas conditions looming on the horizon.
However, the Team India white-ball vice-captain asserted that he would like to earn his place in the squad if the opportunity arises in the future.
Hardik Pandya played only 11 Test matches, scoring four fifties and one hundred.
Four of his 50+ knocks were made with a strike rate of more than 95.
If he had not been injured, would he have gone on to become a Test great?
#INDvAUS https://t.co/8u78zqmHII
When asked whether Team India selectors are mixing up formats when it comes to choosing players for assignments, Ganguly said:
"Good players adjust in all formats. India has so much talent that there will be some players common in all formats. That's the way it should be. Because I feel rhythm in sport is very important. I don't think the selectors do it that way with whatever my experience was in the BCCI."
Suryakumar Yadav's performance in the recently concluded ODI series against Australia drew wide criticism.
The right-handed batter was dismissed for three consecutive golden ducks and several found his repeated selections in ODIs baffling, considering his recent set of poor performances.
Suryakumar Yadav’s ODI stats are worrying 🤯
#CricketTwitter #india #indvsaus https://t.co/XlGpx9t3Np
While the Mumbai-born batter has been beyond brilliant in the shortest format of the game, his numbers in ODI cricket are downright disappointing, considering the caliber.
"They don't go blindly by IPL" - Sourav Ganguly on Team India selectors
There have been claims made in the past that the selection committee tends to overlook performances in domestic cricket and solely rate the displays in the IPL.
However, Ganguly defended the selectors by claiming that other factors apart from the franchise tournament are taken into account before the national team is selected. Ganguly said:
"I think selectors balance performances. They don't go blindly by IPL. Maybe while picking a T20 side, you might look into the IPL performances. I think selectors are mature enough to see overall performance."
When will Hardik Pandya make his next Test match appearance? Let us know what you think.