Hardik Pandya hasn’t played Test cricket since August 2018.
In 11 Tests, the all-rounder scored 532 runs and picked up 17 wickets at an average of 31.29 and 31.05 respectively. He also has a ton and five-wicket haul to his name in the longest format.
Earlier this month, Hardik shared photos of himself bowling with a red ball, which sparked speculation on social media whether the 30-year-old is looking to revive his Test career.
India will play nine more Test matches in the next four months. The ongoing two-match series against Bangladesh will be followed by three Tests against New Zealand at home in October-November and then five Test matches as part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
Gearing up for the upcoming India versus Bangladesh T20I series, Pandya recently trained with both white and red balls at the Mighty Willow Cricket Academy under the watchful eyes of Gujarat Titans assistant coach, Naeem Amin.
Glimpses of the training session were uploaded on Instagram by Naeem, who captioned the post: “What a fantastic experience working with Hardik Pandya over the last few weeks. We worked on several things, and I’m excited to see his progress in the future.”
“Working with a player at the highest level can teach you so much. The insights have been invaluable, and it’s also been great fun. As with all of the high-profile players I have worked with, I’m very appreciative that Hardik has trusted me to provide input on his game. Well done, and all the best, brother,” he added.
Hardik Pandya was asked to play the World Test Championship final against Australia last year, but he declined, citing that he did not want to take the place of a regular red-ball player.
“It’s heartening to know that Hardik is bowling with red ball but has he spoken to men who matter (chief selector Ajit Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma) about his intentions?,” a senior BCCI source was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.