Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has advocated for the inclusion of all-rounder Hardik Pandya in Test cricket to make the Indian squad unbeatable in red-ball cricket. Gavaskar believes that Pandya’s return to the Test squad could be instrumental in securing India’s first World Test Championship (WTC) title and achieving significant victories in Australia. Pandya, who recently played a pivotal role in India’s triumph in the 2024 T20 World Cup in June, has been away from Test cricket for nearly six years. Hardik has emerged as a match-winner for India in both ODIs and T20Is, as evidenced by his recent efforts, which included 11 wickets and 144 runs in the T20 World Cup 2024. However, it is unclear whether the team management will heed Gavaskar’s counsel and subject Pandya to the rigors of Test cricket.
India will play three Test matches against New Zealand in October, followed by a challenging four-Test series against Australia in late November. Gavaskar is convinced that Pandya’s all-round capabilities could be the game-changer for India during these crucial fixtures. “I’m hoping that, in these next two months, there will be some effort made to try and convince Hardik Pandya to come back to Test cricket,” Gavaskar told RevSportz. “If he starts batting at no. 6 or 7, maybe bowling just ten overs a day, but there with his batting, this Indian team will be pretty much invincible in any country, on any kind of surface.”
Gavaskar’s confidence in Pandya’s potential impact is rooted in his versatility and recent form. Despite having played only 11 Test matches in his career, Pandya has shown flashes of brilliance that suggest he could fill the vital role of a pace-bowling all-rounder. Hardik played 11 Tests for India, accumulating 523 runs and taking 17 wickets. He last played a Test for India in 2018 against England before being sidelined owing to injury and workload management difficulties. Hardik has declared that he is not ready to play Tests for India since his body will not be able to withstand the demands of playing all three formats.
