'I Would Be Very Surprised Because…': Ex-India Wicketkeeper On Hardik Pandya’s Return To Test Cricket

Star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is training hard these days to make a return to competitive cricket after two months’ break. The 30-year-old cricketer last played for India on July 30, 2024, against Sri Lanka during a T20I match in Pallekele, which Men in Blue won in the Super Over. Hardik missed the ODI leg of the Sri Lanka tour due to personal reasons but is all set to be picked in the Indian team for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh next month. India will face Bangladesh in three T20Is, which are scheduled to take place in Gwalior, Delhi, and Hyderabad on October 6, 9, and 12, respectively.

In recent times, Hardik has shared multiple pictures and videos of him training hard in the gym and on the ground ahead of his return. And in some clips, the star cricketer was even seen practicing with the red ball, which has raised the possibility of him making a return to red ball cricket as well.

Hardik, who made his international debut for India in January 2016 against Australia, has played in a total of 11 Test matches, but his last red-ball match was in 2018. The Baroda-based cricketer hasn’t played the longest format of the game in the last six years, but there are reports that he could make a return to Test cricket now.

Reacting to the possibility of Hardik playing Tests for India again, former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik said it would be very good if Hardik is available, but he will be very surprised if the star all-rounder is back in the Test team because it won’t be easy for him to play due to his body.

“Wow, that would be really good. Especially someone with his skill set, so fast bowling and batting in Australia would be good, but to be very honest, I would be very surprised, because I know his body; it’s not that easy for him to play Test cricket where he is today, so I again will be surprised,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz’s HeyCB with DK show.

After making his Test debut for India against Sri Lanka in Galle on July 26, 2017, Hardik played in a total of 11 matches and, with the help of one century and four fifties, scored a total of 532 runs. With the bowl, he managed to get rid of 17 batters in 19 innings. His best performance with the ball was against England in Nottingham (August 18-22, 2018), where he managed to dismiss five English batters for 28 runs in the first inning.