I think Hardik Pandya will be very important for World Test Championship finals: Deep Dasgupta

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had pleasantly surprised the cricket fraternity by including Hardik Pandya in the 18-member squad for the four-match Test series against England, starting from February 5 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Hardik isn’t practicing bowling due to his back surgery and thus hasn’t featured in any red-ball game for India in recent past.

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Deep Dasgupta believes that Hardik has been included in the Test squad as there is not much red-ball domestic cricket happening these days which means that he isn’t getting the exposure of playing the longest format. Also, Dasgupta backed Pandya to play an important role for India while playing Tests outside India.

“One of the reasons he is there is because there is not much domestic cricket happening right now and whatever has been announced is predominantly white-ball cricket. Hardik Pandya becomes very, very important when we start travelling outside.

“At home you might not feel his importance as much because you have spinning all-rounder in Ashwin, Jadeja will be back, Washington Sundar is in, Axar is there but his importance increased 10 folds when you start travelling,” Deep Dasgupta said as quoted by Sportskeeda.

 I don’t think we will see Hardik Pandya in the first Test: Deep Dasgupta

Though the veteran keeper know that Hardik won’t make it to the Playing XI for the first Test match against England in Chennai, he believes that the selectors have picked him to continuously monitor his bowling and make him ready for the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship in June 2021 along with a crucial five-match Test series away from home from July 2021.

“There is a huge England series coming up, there is a very, very good chance of India qualifying for the World Test Championship finals, that’s where I think Hardik Pandya will be very important. I think his inclusion in the squad is to make sure that his progress is monitored as a bowler.

“So, I don’t think we will see him in the first Test but I think he is there for a very specific reason, to monitor his progress as an all-rounder, as a bowler,” Dasgupta concluded.