Never say never – Robin Uthappa on Hardik Pandya’s Test future
As India undergo a transition in Test cricket, experiments have been aplenty. On those lines, former Indian cricketer, Robin Uthappa, believes that India should not completely write off Hardik Pandya's comeback to Tests.
Hardik Pandya has been in super good nick in white-ball cricket, spearheading India’s middle-order emphatically. Not just with the bat but even with the ball, Pandya has been a stalwart in recent times, sparking discussions of what’s to come.
Talking on his YouTube channel, Robin Uthappa claimed that Pandya can contribute exceedingly to the Indian cricket team in the longest format of the game.
Shedding light on where Hardik Pandya can slot into the Indian Test team, Uthappa said, “If Hardik Pandya returns to the No. 7 spot in Tests, it would be wonderful. The way he’s playing. Anything can happen; it’s cricket. Never say never. If Hardik decides to play Test cricket, will 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 would say no.”
Uthappa also pointed out that BCCI might be willing to check out if Pandya is set to take the load, if chosen to ask to be a part of all the formats. He said, “I think they are asking him to prove his fitness. Are all-rounders bowling 20 overs? Nitish Kumar is not bowling that much. He’s bowling 12 overs. If he’s to bowl 12-15 overs per innings, I think he can do it the way he’s fit now, the way he’s bowling and batting. It’s his own decision.”
Hardik Pandya has been a part of 11 Test matches, scoring 532 runs which features a century and four fifties. However, persistent injury concerns have not seen Pandya play Test cricket since 2018. His last appearance in Test cricket came against England in Southampton.
Uthappa also came up with an objective that Hardik Pandya should eye for, stating that he should be going for the cricket grandslam. Stating further, Uthappa added, “He's won multiple ICC world championships right now. He’s won the ICC trophies – the Asia Cup, the 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.”
