Kapil Dev straightforwardly expressed doubt about Hardik Pandya participating in numerous future Test matches. He acknowledged the possibility of Pandya’s involvement in red-ball cricket if he’s in good shape.
The ongoing debate in Indian cricket is whether Pandya can withstand the demands of Test cricket. Despite debuting in 2017 in Sri Lanka, the 29-year-old hasn’t played a Test since the 2018 England tour.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes India requires an all-rounder akin to Ben Stokes to excel in away Test matches. When questioned about whether Pandya could fulfill this role for India in Test cricket, Kapil responded to The Times of India:
“Doesn’t look like he will.” The Indian legend added, “I saw his photograph on the billboard today. I don’t know whether they did any touch-up or not, but in that, he looked like having one of the finest bodies we have in the country. Yes, he should play more cricket because he has so much ability. If he is fit, he should play Test cricket also.”
In a prior interview with The Week magazine, Kapil expressed a difference of opinion from former India head coach Ravi Shastri’s stance that Pandya’s physique isn’t equipped to handle the rigorous requirements of Test cricket.
During the 2018 Asia Cup, the Indian all-rounder experienced a significant lower-back injury that has adversely affected his bowling abilities.
“Jadeja is fantastic, Ashwin is doing a great job” -Kapil’s take on the current all-rounders in India’s team
Since Kapil’s retirement in 1994, India hasn’t discovered a fast-bowling all-rounder like him. However, Kapil doesn’t view the current situation as overly concerning.
The 64-year-old highlighted that although there’s been a shortage of fast bowlers with batting skills, India has generated high-quality all-rounders specializing in spin bowling.
“I don’t think it is right to compare players. Last 20-30 years, we have produced enough fast bowlers whom we can depend on. And that is more important. It’s not just fast-bowling all-rounders you require, you need spin-bowling all-rounders’ as well.”
“And you have some decent ones in the Indian team. Jadeja is fantastic, Ashwin is doing a great job. So it isn’t that we don’t have any all-rounders at all,” Kapil opined.”
Ashwin has taken 489 wickets in Test matches and has scored five centuries. Jadeja, on the other hand, has secured 275 dismissals and boasts three Test hundreds.
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