Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who has been leading the T20I squad for quite some time now, is not playing the ongoing overseas Test series against West Indies. The development means that this has become yet another Test series that Pandya hasn’t participated in.
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Former India captain Sourav Ganguly recently expressed his desire of watching Pandya back in the whites. Pandya’s absence, however, is no longer a surprise for either the team management or the fans now. He has not played the longest format of the game for a long time now. He is completely fit at the moment but has not made himself available for selection.
Why Is Hardik Pandya Not Playing Test Matches In West Indies?
Pandya’s back injury (and a subsequent surgery) is the biggest reason why he is not playing Test cricket for India. He suffered a nasty lower-back injury during an Asia Cup 2018 match against Pakistan. He was taken off the field on a stretcher. Pandya then missed a home Test series against West Indies and a T20I series in Australia.
Pandya managed to get fit ahead of Indian Premier League 2019 and even played in ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 as well. Pandya’s IPL 2019 campaign was one of his bests. However, his injury aggravated again and he had to undergo surgery in London later that year. While he took time off a cricket field for a much-needed rehab, his return to cricket was further delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pandya was finally back on the field for Mumbai Indians during IPL 2020. He recovered from the injury but it deeply affected his bowling ability. The right-arm bowler didn’t bowl a single over in IPL 2020. Even for India, he bowled just a few overs, that too occasionally, the following year. Bowling fitness issues continued to persist even during IPL 2021.
Pandya’s selection for ICC T20 World Cup 2021 was criticized because of his inability to bowl. Dropped from the national team thereafter, Pandya made his return while leading Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022. He led Gujarat to their first IPL title in their maiden season on the back of contributions across divisions. Pandya is now fit and bowling in white-ball cricket at the highest level.
That being said, Pandya has not played first class cricket since 2018. Speaking to Cricbuzz in 2020, Pandya said that he wants to concentrate on limited-overs formats for India. He agreed that his back will take a lot of toll if he plays Test cricket.
“After my back surgery, I don’t know, playing Test cricket right now will be a challenge. If I was a Test player and didn’t have the game in white-ball cricket, I could go now and risk my back in Tests but I know my importance in white-ball cricket,” he had back then.
Who Has Replaced Hardik Pandya In Indian Test Team?
India are yet to field a pace-bowling all-rounder in Tests since Pandya. Although a bowling all-rounder, Shardul Thakur has been the closest as far as replacing him is concerned. Thakur has played some important knocks with the bat but it will be very early to call him a batting all-rounder.
Not pacers though, the ace duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin have taken the all-rounders’ role upon themselves. Both of them are match-winners with the ball in the hand, but they are equally effective with the bat as well. In fact, Jadeja has batted at No. 6 ahead of the wicket-keeper on many occasions.
Jadeja, whose Test batting average is 35.60, has scored three centuries and 18 half-centuries in Test cricket. Ashwin, on the other hand, has smashed five Test centuries and 13 half-centuries.
Axar Patel, meanwhile, has emerged as another trustworthy all-rounder in the 12 Tests he’s played for India till now. In addition to his 50 wickets in the format, the southpaw has also registered four crucial half-centuries. However, India would definitely benefit by the presence of a pace-bowling batting all-rounder especially in away Tests.
