Hardik Pandya won’t play test again? Former Indian player speaks on the chances of Hardik Pandya playing Test again

Hardik Pandya is currently with the Indian T20 Team as he got the opportunity to lead his country for the first time against Ireland in a two-match T20I series. The series will start on 26 June 2022. Earlier this year, Hardik managed to win the Indian T20 League for his Gujarat franchise at the first attempt only.

However, former Indian batter, Wasim Jaffar came out and spoke about Hardik’s chances of playing the longer format of the game in near future. He said that it is most unlikely for him to get featured in the India whites again.

“In red-ball cricket, I do not see that happening,” – Wasim Jaffar

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo during a conversation, Jaffar said that his ability to play the Test cricket again is in doubt whereas he had become a front-runner to lead India in the white-ball formats. He said: “Due to the type of back surgery Hardik had, you do not see him bowling 15 to 18 overs a day. He will either start at four or five. In red-ball cricket, I do not see that happening,”

He also said that Pandya should bowl a maximum of four overs or 10 overs in the One-Day format to extend his career. “He is therefore far from joining the red-ball circuit in that sense. So I believe it will help him extend his career if we just let him bowl four overs or at most 10 overs in One-Day while batting at four, five, or six,” Jaffar concluded.

Speaking of his Test career so far, Pandya had played 11 Test matches where he scored 532 runs at an average of 31.29, including a hundred against Sri Lanka. He also grabbed 17 wickets at an economy of 3.38, including a five-wicket haul against England at Nottingham in 2018. This was the last series when he donned the Indian Test Team jersey.

As of now, Hardik will be in action again when he will step on the field to lead India against Ireland in the upcoming T20I series.