"There should be an attempt to convince Hardik Pandya to play Test cricket"- Sunil Gavaskar believes all-rounder key for India to win WTC title
Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar feels there must be a strong attempt to have star all-rounder Hardik Pandya back in the Test setup. He reckons he will be key for the side to win their maiden World Test Championship (WTC) title and attain glory in Australia. The 30-year-old recently starred in India's T20 World Cup triumph in the West Indies and the USA.
Hardik has played only 11 Tests for India amidst the 186 white-ball games in his eight-year international career. With injuries at regular intervals, the all-rounder has been more focused on extending his white-ball career, leading to him last playing red-ball cricket for India in 2018.
When asked if the side can assert their dominance in Tests and win a maiden WTC title and a hattrick of series wins down under, Gavaskar told Revsportz:
"Yes, absolutely, they can. I think in the next two months, there should be an attempt to convince Hardik Pandya to play Test cricket. If he bowls ten overs a day to go with his batting, this Indian team could become invincible, and they can surely go on and win the WTC and beat Australia in Australia."
Hardik boasts impressive all-round numbers in his 11 Tests with a batting average of over 31 and a bowling average of 31.05 with 17 wickets.
Team India have reached the WTC final both times since its inception but suffered defeats to New Zealand and Australia in the summit clash, respectively. They will play Australia in an away five-Test series later this year.
"I love the way he leads his team and his body language" - Sunil Gavaskar on Rohit Sharma
Sunil Gavaskar hailed Indian skipper Rohit Sharma for his leadership skills and overall body language after helping India clinch their second T20 World Cup title.
Rohit joined MS Dhoni and Kapil Dev as the only Indian captains to win a World Cup title.
"There are some captains for whom it is the pleasure of captaincy. Rohit and MS Dhoni belong to that category. There are others for whom it is the pressure of captaincy. I was in that category. That Rohit is relaxed and enjoys captaincy makes him the captain that he is. I love the way he leads his team and his body language," said Gavaskar.
The Rohit Sharma-led Indian side is currently atop the 2023-25 WTC standings with six wins in nine Tests. India's next Test assignment will be a two-match home series against Bangladesh, starting September 19.