ENG vs IND 2025: India are missing a player like Hardik Pandya in Test cricket: Craig McMillan

New Zealand women's team head coach Craig McMillan opined that India are missing a player like Hardik Pandya in Test cricket, especially in overseas conditions. In the recently concluded Test series against England, India used Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy as their seam-bowling all-rounders. However, neither of them could make a mark.

Hardik hasn't played Test cricket since August 2018. In 11 Tests, the 31-year-old aggregated 532 runs at an average of 31.29 and picked up 17 wickets at 31.06.

McMillan said that India do have spin-bowling all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar to help them in Asian conditions, but they don't have a seam-bowling all-rounder who can thrive in overseas conditions.

“In Asian conditions, you need a spin-bowling all-rounder like Jadeja, Washington or previously R Ashwin. In NZ, Australia and England, you need a fast-bowling allrounder. It is where India are missing a player like Hardik Pandya who can bowl medium pace and bat lower down the order. For England, Ben Stokes is two players in one,” McMillan told Times of India.

Shubman Gill looks a good captain: McMillan

McMillan said that India's new Test captain, Shubman Gill, did a decent job on the England tour. However, the former New Zealand all-rounder mentioned that Gill did make some mistakes, which is understandable in someone's first series as captain. However, McMillan is hopeful that the 25-year-old will learn and get with experience.

“He looks a good captain. The first series is very tough. In such a pressure-cooked series, he probably made a few mistakes. But you expect those in his first series. He will get better with experience. He is the future, so India will invest in him. He will get to know his team’s game, which I think is really important, and the style of play,” he added.

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Under Gill's leadership, a fairly inexperienced Indian side managed to draw the series 2-2 against the Three Lions.