Hardik Pandya Could Play Test Cricket in the Gambhir Era
Gautam Gambhir, a celebrated Indian cricketer has recently graced the coach’s chair of the Indian Cricket team. His recent statement hinted towards the probable return of Hardik Pandya to the test cricket. Pandya is an all-rounder pivotal in India’s title win in the T20 World Cup 2024. He displayed good form in the recently concluded T20I Ind vs SL bilateral series. Gambhir has highlighted the importance of all-rounders in the white ball and red ball series. Hardik’s exceptional batting skills combined, with his bowling prowess will bring versatility to Team India’s test side.
Shardul Thakur’s exclusion and the BGT series
The upcoming 2024-25 season of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series will have India fight against Australia. The Team is in dire need of a reliable all-rounder who can handle batting and seam bowling. Shardul Thakur, a seasoned cricketer is currently struggling with form with a string of disappointing performances in his last matches.
Thakur has been significant for the test cricket team as a prolific bowler and lower-order batsman. However, due to his inconsistent gameplay, he was also excluded in the last India vs England 5-match test series, so it is expected that selectors may not show much interest in him. This situation has created a gap in the team line-up for a fresh face to take his spot. Hardik Pandya is the best prospect the team has right now.
Hardik’s entry into the test through Duleep Trophy
The 17th edition of the Duleep Trophy 2024 starting from 5 September may serve as the perfect playground for Hardik. He can make a comeback in the Test format through this upcoming series. Pandya has already mastered the limited-overs format. Being an all-rounder this will act as a perfect playground to master his batting and bowling capabilities in the longer format. Duleep Trophy will help him polish his skills and prepare him for a better placement in the national team ahead of the BGT series.
Hardik Pandya’s Test statistics
Hardik’s last test match was in September 2018, he has been absent from the test arena due to his injuries. He has played a total of 11 test matches, scoring 532 runs and taking 17 wickets. The statistics speak for Hardik’s versatility as an all-rounder:
| Role & Stats | Mats | Inns | Runs | Wkts | Avg | HS | SR | 100s/50s | Balls | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batting | 11 | 18 | 532 | – | 31.29 | 108 | 73.88 | 1/4 | – | – |
| Bowling | 11 | 19 | 528 | 17 | 31.05 | – | 55.1 | – | 937 | 3.38 |
Key Takeaways
Gautam Gambhir’s philosophy of a good player playing in all the formats may push Pandya to the test side of the team. Hardik Pandya is critical for the national team to have a stable line-up, he is the ideal candidate to replace Shardul Thakur. In the upcoming BGT series against Australia, India will need an all-rounder like him. Moreover, his stats are a testament to his balanced and dynamic approach to the game.
