'Wouldn’t have been bad idea to bring back Hardik Pandya into Test squad ' - Dodda Ganesh after BCCI announces WTC Final squad

The BCCI selection committee announced the squad for the World Test Championship final 2023 on Tuesday, April 25. Veteran India batter Ajinkya Rahane made his return to the Indian Test team after a year as he got rewarded for his stupendous form in Ranji Trophy 2022-23 and IPL 2023.

Following the announcement of the WTC final squad, former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh suggested that it wouldn’t have been a bad idea to pick Hardik Pandya as well for the summit clash against Australia scheduled to be played from June 7.

Ganesh took to Twitter and wrote, “It wouldn’t have been a bad idea to bring back Hardik Pandya into the test squad.”

Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್@doddaganesha

It wouldn’t have been a bad idea to bring back Hardik Pandya into the test squad #CricketTwitter

12:23 PM · Apr 25, 2023

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Teams travelling to SENA countries prefer seam bowling all-rounders in their squad, hence, selecting Pandya wouldn’t have been a bad decision as the final will be played in the same conditions at the Oval in London. Instead of Panyda, the selectors showed faith in Shardul Thakur who has been a proven match-winner for India in the past few years.

Pandya played his last Test against England in 2018 and lost his place in the side as issues with his back didn’t allow him to bowl long spells demanded in the Test format. However, the all-rounder went through surgery in October 2019 and has been at his best for the past year in white-ball cricket playing in both IPL and international cricket.

I will come (back) when I feel (it’s) the right time to play Test-match cricket: Hardik Pandya

The 29-year-old has captained the T20I side after the 2022 T20 World Cup on several occasions and even captained India in the first ODI against Australia in March 2023. Commenting on his return to red-ball cricket earlier this year, Pandya said that he will come back to Test cricket when he feels it’s the right time.

“I will come (back) when I feel (it’s) the right time to play Test-match cricket. Right now, I’m going to focus on white-ball cricket, which is important, and if the time is right and my body is fine, I’ll give (red-ball cricket) a try," Pandya said.

The Gujarat-born cricketer has played 11 Tests so far and scored 532 runs at an average of 31.29 with a century and four fifties to his name. He has also taken 17 wickets at an average of 31.05 including a five-wicket haul vs England in 2018.