Mumbai (TIP)-Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa believes Hardik Pandya could still have a meaningful role to play in Test cricket, suggesting the all-rounder would be an ideal No. 7 option for India if he chooses to return to the red-ball format. Uthappa feels Pandya’s current fitness levels and skill set make a Test comeback far from unrealistic, especially in the context of how India have been using their pace-bowling all-rounders.
Expanding on his point, Uthappa noted that India’s recent Test combinations show flexibility rather than fixed roles, with players like Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar being used on and off depending on conditions and team balance. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Uthappa argued that Pandya would comfortably fit into this evolving structure if he is willing to take on a controlled workload.
“If Hardik Pandya returns to the No. 7 spot in Tests, it would be wonderful,” Uthappa said. “The way he’s playing, anything can happen. It’s cricket. Never say never. If Hardik decides to play Test cricket, will BCCI ask him not to play? If he says he wants to play and wants to win the World Test Championship, I don’t think they would say no.”
Uthappa also addressed concerns around Pandya’s bowling workload in the longest format, pointing out that modern all-rounders are no longer expected to bowl marathon spells.
“Are all-rounders bowling 20 overs? Nitish Kumar is not bowling that much. He’s bowling around 12 overs. If Hardik bowls 12 to 15 overs per innings, I think he can do it with the way he’s fit now, the way he’s bowling and batting. It’s his own decision,” he added.
Pandya last played Test and First-Class cricket in 2018, stepping away from red-ball cricket after struggling with a recurring back injury. Since then, he has focused entirely on white-ball formats, a move that has helped him establish himself as one of India’s most important limited-overs players despite intermittent fitness concerns.
India have continued to explore all-round options in Tests, rotating between Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar and even Harshit Rana in specific conditions. Pandya’s own Test record, though limited, remains solid, with 532 runs from 11 matches at an average of 31.29 and 17 wickets at 31.05.
Uthappa also framed a possible return as an opportunity for Pandya to “complete cricket,” with the World Test Championship being the one major prize missing from his cabinet after multiple ICC white-ball titles. Pandya is expected to next feature in the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand, with him likely to be rested for the ODI leg of the series as a workload management call ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
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