Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya took to the practice pitch with the red ball in hand, teasing his fans and followers alike by hinting at a possible Test cricket return via social media on Thursday.
Ever since he underwent major surgery to deal with a longstanding back issue, Pandya stopped playing red-ball cricket and focused himself on remaining in top shape for limited-overs.
In his 11 Test appearances for India, Pandya has notched 532 runs at an average 31.29, whilst picking up 17 wickets with the red ball as well.
The 30-year-old though, who last played a Test for India in August-September 2018, took to social media, posting clips of his training sessions with the red ball, hinting at a possible return to the long format.
There were speculations that the 30-year-old could be a surprise pick in India’s squad for the final of the 2023 World Test Championship but he turned down the talks by asserting he doesn’t want to take the place of a Test regular.
While Pandya hasn’t explicitly revealed his plans of playing red-ball cricket, the series of Instagram stories do give a hint that he may not be averse to reviving his first-class career.
“It’s heartening to know that Hardik is bowling with red ball but has he really spoken to men who matter (chief selector Ajit Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma) about his intentions?,” a senior BCCI source was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
In any case, India are slated to play plenty of Test cricket in the upcoming months. Following the ongoing Bangladesh Test series, India will face off against New Zealand in a three-match Test series at home, before flying to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which will see the two teams squaring off across five Tests.
(with agency inputs)
