In a bold suggestion, legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has called for the inclusion of Hardik Pandya in the Indian Test team. Gavaskar believes that this move could make India unbeatable in Test cricket.
India’s Test Journey So Far
India has reached the pinnacle of ICC Test rankings multiple times and has been a dominant force in the format. However, they have fallen short in the finals of the World Test Championship, losing to New Zealand in 2021 and Australia in 2023. Despite their impressive track record, including back-to-back series wins in Australia, draws in England and South Africa, and dominant home performances, India has yet to claim the ultimate prize in Test cricket.
Gavaskar’s Bold Suggestion
Celebrating his 75th birthday, Gavaskar proposed a strategy to elevate India to an ‘invincible’ status in Test cricket, a term that has only been attributed to a few teams in history. Speaking to RevSportz, Gavaskar emphasized the potential impact of Hardik Pandya’s return to the Test setup.
“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,” Gavaskar said.
Hardik’s Test Career and Challenges
Hardik Pandya has played 11 Tests for India, scoring 523 runs and picking 17 wickets. His last Test appearance was in 2018 against England, after which injuries and workload management issues have kept him out of the longest format. Despite his reluctance to play Tests due to concerns over his body’s ability to handle the demands of all three formats, Hardik has proven to be a match-winner in ODIs and T20Is.
Memorable Test Performances
Pandya has delivered impressive performances in his Test career. In 2017 against Sri Lanka, he scored a fifty on debut and followed it with a rapid century in the next game. In 2018, he scored 93 on a challenging Cape Town pitch against South Africa and later that year, took a five-wicket haul and scored a fifty at Trent Bridge against England, helping India secure a significant win.
Future Prospects
As India gears up for a busy Test calendar, including series against Bangladesh, New Zealand, and the Border-Gavaskar series in Australia, Gavaskar’s suggestion to include Pandya could be a game-changer. Whether the team management will heed this advice and integrate Pandya back into the Test squad remains to be seen.
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