India have struggled with all-rounders in the longest format of the game. As the answer to all the problems, former Indian wicketkeeper Robin Uthappa feels that Hardik Pandya could be the right name if his fitness and workload is managed carefully.
India’s recent struggles in Test cricket are not invisible. However, concerns have been identified from time to time due to lower-order batting depth and the lack of an effective fifth bowling option. Most successful teams in Test cricket field a seam-bowling all-rounder.
For England, their captain Ben Stokes does this effectively, while Marco Johnson makes a similar impact for South Africa. Australia have also searched around Mitchell Marsh, Cameron Green and Beau Webster in this format. However, India did not have any player in this role.
Hardik Pandya supports return to Test
Indian cricket has not had a seam-bowling all-rounder in Test cricket since their great captain Kapil Dev. Experienced all-rounders in Test cricket include players like Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuvraj Singh, but all of them were spin-bowling all-rounders.
India’s experienced white-ball all-rounder Hardik Pandya once played for India in red-ball cricket as well. However, due to frequent injuries and the heavy workload of Test cricket, Pandya opted out of this format to prolong his career in limited overs cricket.
Former Indian wicketkeeper Robin feels that Hardik Pandya still has a lot to offer in Test cricket, suggesting that the all-rounder is the ideal number one. 7 whom India is looking for. However, he is aware of the fact that Pandya’s fitness levels are limited and he is far away from a realistic Test comeback.
“It would be amazing if Hardik Pandya returns to No. 7 in Tests,” Uthappa said. “The way he is playing, 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 win the World Test Championship, I don’t think they will say no.”
Robin Uthappa addresses bowling workload issues for Pandya in red-ball cricket
According to Robin Uthappa, Hardik Pandya could be an ideal fit having been used in the recent fixtures, with players like Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar being used from time to time. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Uthappa argued that Pandya would fit comfortably into the emerging set-up if he could manage his workload.
However, India are making full use of their all-rounders on the bowling front and this is a matter of concern for Hardik. The veteran all-rounder will have to manage a heavy workload in the longest format; However, Uthappa pointed out that such marathon spells are no longer in demand in modern red-ball cricket.
He said, “Are the all-rounders bowling 20 overs? Nitish Kumar is not bowling that much. He is bowling around 12 overs. If Hardik bowls 12 to 15 overs per innings, I think the way he is fit now, the way he is bowling and batting, he can do that. It is his own decision.”
India is looking for a seam-bowling all-rounder in Test cricket
India continue to look for all-round options in Test cricket, with Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy and even Shardul Thakur among them. However, Hardik Pandya could be a better batting prospect with Ravindra Jadeja and players like Washington Sundar or Axar Patel down the order.
In his own Test record, Pandya scored 532 runs in 11 matches at an average of 31.29 and also took 17 wickets. He also has a Test century in his name for India. Pandya last played first-class cricket at the domestic level in 2018 and retired from cricket after repeatedly battling a back injury.
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