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Updated May 8th, 2021 at 17:33 IST

Hardik Pandya axed from Team India's Test cricket fold as inability to bowl persists

A back injury sustained in 2019 has kept Hardik Pandya from rolling his arms over with the ball despite having made his comeback in the national fold. 

Reported by: Jitesh Vachhatani
Hardik Pandya
Credits: AP | Image:self
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Part of the rarest group amongst India's vast pool of cricket talent, Hardik Pandya's recent snub from the Test fold has cast a doubt on his future in the whites. Yet to recuperate fully from a back injury he sustained in October 2019, Pandya's road to recovery hasn't been an easy one. The back injury has kept the right-arm fast bowling all-rounder from rolling his arms over with the ball despite having made his comeback in the national fold. 

On Friday, when the BCCI announced the squad for the World Test Championship final against New Zealand and the subsequent tour of England, Hardik Pandya's ommission was amusing for some, but not unexpected. The Baroda-lad hasn't bowled since his return and even in the recently suspended IPL, the all-rounder had a go with the ball in only one game limiting the stress amid his road to recovery. Now, Pandya's snub has cast a shadow on his return to the Test fold while his bowling abilities remain disabled. 

As per PTI sources in BCCI, Hardik Pandya is still not in a position to bowl which fuelled the decision to keep him out of Team India's flight to England. The source informed that BCCI's experiment to keep the all-rounder during the recent Test series against England 'had failed miserably' and added that Pandya 'will not be considered for Test cricket', henceforth, making a bold claim on the star cricketer's future in the longest format of the game. 

Pertinently, Hardik Pandya's inclusion in the squad would have been a boost to India's strength had been able to bowl. Pandya's fast-medium bowling skills would have been significantly useful at the lush green and seaming pitches in England. Hardik Pandya had sustained a back injury in the final T20 against South Africa back in September 22, 2019. He had travelled to the United Kingdom following his injury and underwent surgery. The BCCI had then said that the surgery was carried out keeping in mind the 'long-term benefits'. 

Aakash Chopra makes a bold claim 

Following Hardik Pandya's snub from the jumbo squad, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has opined that the Baroda all-rounder might not be a part of the Test squad for long. Chopra said on his YouTube channel, "One thing is certain that if he is not there in the WTC final, it's fine but if his name is not there even for the five Tests against England, it's clear that Hardik Pandya may not be seen in Test cricket for a long while.

"We all felt Hardik Pandya's name will surely be there. It is obvious that if he has to play Test cricket anywhere then England, South Africa and Australia are the places where you will need Hardik Pandya the medium pacer. There is an issue with his bowling. The captain also said sometime back that they are managing his workload, so that we can keep him safe for Test cricket," said Chopra.

BCCI announce WTC squad

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday announced a 20-man squad for the upcoming World Test Championship and India tour of England. Team India’s first stop will be in Southampton where they play New Zealand to decide the first champion of the Test format. Following their 3-1 win against England at home, India finished as the No. 1 side with 72.2 percentage points and booked their place in the final. 

India Full Squad For WTC & England Tour: 

India’s squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper; subject to fitness clearance). 

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Published May 8th, 2021 at 17:33 IST

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