"Want to see him play Test cricket" - Sourav Ganguly on Hardik Pandya
Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly recently stated that he wishes to see talismanic all-rounder Hardik Pandya back in India's Test team in the near future.
He emphasized that India have a lot of talented players who can be an integral part of the red-ball team. The cricketer-turned-commentator reckons that Pandya will be a great fit for the Test side, especially in conditions like England.
Ganguly made these remarks while speaking to Sports Today. He said:
"And I hope Hardik Pandya is listening. I want to see him play Test cricket, especially in these conditions as well."
Notably, Pandya has proven his mettle as an all-format player for India in the past. He has featured in 11 Test matches in his career and has 532 runs to his name, including one century and five fifties. He also has 17 wickets to his name, which includes a five-wicket haul against England.
However, there have been some injury concerns with Pandya in the past, and it remains to be seen if he dons the whites anytime soon, or if fans will have to wait longer to see him play the longest format.
Ganguly also suggested that India shouldn't panic after their loss to Australia in the recently concluded ICC World Test Championship (WTC 2023) final. He opined that the defeat doesn't mean that it is time to look beyond senior batters like Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, adding:
"Let's not come to conclusions with just one loss. India will always have talent. I don't think it's time to look beyond a Virat (Kohli) or (Cheteshwar) Pujara. Virat is just 34."
AUSTRALIA WIN! 🇦🇺
A comprehensive win for Australia in the WTC 2023 Final as they beat India by 209 runs.
Champions! 👏🏆
#WTC23 #AUSvIND #CricketTwitter https://t.co/XmNhZlUG81
It is worth mentioning that the Rohit Sharma-led Indian side suffered a heartbreaking 209-run loss to Australia in the WTC 2023 final. Pujara endured batting failures in both innings, finishing with scores of 14 and 27. Kohli produced an impressive 49-run knock in India's second innings but failed to convert it into a big one.
"You will only find out when you give them the opportunity" - Sourav Ganguly on India's domestic cricket stars
Sourav Ganguly further stated that there have been a number of batters who have done exceptionally well in domestic cricket. He suggested that those players must be given opportunities to prove their worth at the highest level as well.
Naming the likes of Abhimanyu Easwaran, Yashasvi Jaisal, and Rajat Patidar as exciting prospects, Ganguly elaborated:
"In domestic cricket there are some fantastic players and you will only find out when you give them the opportunity. Whether it's a (Yashasvi) Jaiswal or Rajat Patidar. There is Abhimanyu Easwaran from Bengal who has scored a lots of runs. Shubman Gill is young."
India are set to tour West Indies in July and August for a multi-format series. It is expected that the national selectors will give chances to some new faces for the assignment.