Hardika Pandya to make Test comeback? Here’s how it could change Team India’s world test championship fate

Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa has urged India’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya to return to the Test and said it would be “great” if he settles at No.7 again.

Uthappa believed that if he was fit and willing to play, the BCCI would not be able to stop him. Pandya last played Test cricket in 2018. He has not played in red-ball formats since then due to a back injury. With Pandya not playing Test cricket, India have flirted more with fast bowling all-round options, with Nitish Reddy and Shardul Thakur emerging as leading contenders.

Pandya played 11 Test matches for India, scoring 532 runs at an average of 31.29, including a century and four fifties, and 17 wickets at an average of 31.05 under his belt.

“It would be great if Hardik Pandya returns to the 7th order in Tests. The way he plays. Anything can happen; this is cricket. Never say never. If Hardik decides to play Test cricket, will the BCCI ask him not to play? If he says he wants to play and wants to win the World Test Championship (WTC), I don’t think they will say no. I think they want him to prove his fitness. Is bowling all-rounder 20 Overs? Nitish Kumar is not bowling that much. If he is going to bowl 12-15 overs per innings, I think He can do that based on his current situation, the way he bowls and bats, it is his own decision,” Robin Uthappa said on his YouTube Channel.

“He’s won multiple ICC world titles now. He’s won ICC trophies – Asia Cup, T20 World Cup. He wants to win the ICC World Test Championship; also then that’s the whole grand slam, right? Which cricketer wouldn’t want to do that for his country? He’s halfway there,” he added.

Uthappa also said that he could not find any seamers in the Indian Test team other than Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah and praised Prasidh Krishna’s efforts, saying that he did well in some places but felt there was room for improvement.

“For me now it’s Siraj and Bumrah but from now on I can’t [find any]. I can’t say that… Like Prasidh has done well in some places, but that’s not a sign of confidence. I love him, he’s a great guy, a hard-working cricketer, a great work ethic, but the efficiency that exists in Test cricket is what you want. Maybe I’m old fashioned, I don’t know. Economy rate is not a factor in Test cricket today. “Given the way cricket is played, it is normal for people to go for 5-7 runs to try to get wickets… There is room for improvement in Prasidh,” he added.