Aakash Chopra has opined on the Indian squad that has been chosen for the World Test Championship final and the England Test series that follows later. He spoke about Kuldeep Yadav’s exclusion from the side saying that he would have been a good option with the ball being a chinaman spinner. Chopra also spoke about Hardik Pandya’s future in Test cricket.
Hardik Pandya last played Test cricket for India against England in Southampton in 2018. the WTC final between India and New Zealand will be played at the same venue in June. The BCCI selection committee announced the squad on May, 7 announcing a jumbo squad.
However, the absence of Hardik has been talked about in the cricketing circles. Former India batsman Aakash Chopra commented on the all-rounder’s non-selection and what this means for his future in Test cricket.
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Aakash Chopra On Hardik Pandya’s Test Future
“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,” said Chopra on his YouTube channel.
Hardik Pandya has not bowled since his back surgery which kept him out of the game for a long time. He worked on his fitness and made a comeback however, he is still not fit to bowl. He bowled a little during the limited-overs series between India and Australia last December and then again, a few overs against England in the ODIs. Hardik’s exclusion from the Test squad comes mostly on the basis of his unavailability to contribute from a bowling standpoint.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli very specifically explained the role of Hardik in India’s Test squad. He spoke about the balance which Hardik brings to the team when he bowls in the longest format of the game.
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.
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