Questions pile up around Indian allrounder’s comeback | ESPNcricinfo.com

India’s Test squad for the two-match Test series in New Zealand is yet to be announced, but the BCCI has already ruled out allrounder Hardik Pandya. In a media release that threw up more questions than answers, the BCCI said that Pandya hasn’t regained full fitness yet, having undergone a back surgery in October 2019. As such, no time frame as been set for his return.
The media release, which was issued on Saturday and signed by BCCI secretary Jay Shah, is curious, because India’s Test squad has not been announced yet. This begs the questions of how Pandya could have been ruled out.
According to the BCCI statement, Pandya had recently travelled to London to review his back again. The seriousness of the case could be gauged by the fact that the player was accompanied by Ashish Kaushik, the head physiotherapist at the National Cricket Academy, where Pandya will now undergo his rehab.
“Team India allrounder Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series against New Zealand,” the BCCI release said. “He travelled to London and was accompanied by NCA Head Physio Ashish Kaushik for a review by spinal surgeon Dr James Allibone. Hardik will be under rehab at the National Cricket Academy until he regains full match fitness.”
After undergoing surgery last October, Pandya was optimistic of returning to action during the New Zealand tour which comprises five T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests. On December 23, the Indian selection panel, led by former wicketkeeper MSK Prasad, had named Pandya in the India A squad that would play three one-dayers against New Zealand A prior to the T20I leg of the tour.
However, on January 12, Pandya was pulled out of the T20I squad as his “rehabilitation was longer than expected,” according to the BCCI.
Ever since he made his international debut in 2016, Pandya has been a key member of India’s limited-overs sides, developing into an impact allrounder. With two T20 World Cups set to be played in the next two years, the BCCI is opting to take precautions instead of rushing Pandya back into action.
That is what S Rajnikanth, Pandya’s personal trainer, had told the BCCI when the allrounder was working with him before the board decided to send him to the NCA.According to Rajnikanth Pandya was fully fit physically, but not match fit to handle the bowling workload specifically.
That sentiment was echoed by Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI president, earlier this week, after he had met Rahul Dravid, the director of cricket at the NCA. “He’s not fit yet,” Ganguly told PTI. Asked whether Pandya would play the Ranji Trophy for Baroda (his state team) before returning to the national side, Ganguly ruled that and said that “he’ll take a bit of time to get fit.”
All of these events add more intrigue to the Pandya scenario. If Pandya had been declared unfit, and if this was known to selectors on January 12 itself (reportedly when the selectors had the discussion on the Test squad) why then has been ruled out of the New Zealand Test series just now? Are we to presume then that Pandya was being considered for the Test series based on him proving his fitness and form during the India A matches followed by the limited-overs series for the senior team if he were to be picked?
And in case Pandya was going to be picked for the Test series, questions would have been asked about his match fitness in the longer form. Pandya’s last Test was against England in Southampton in 2018. Immediately after that game, his back issue surfaced. In December 2018, Pandya played his last first-class match against Mumbai before heading to be part of the India Test camp during the Australia series even if he did not feature in any of the matches.
Pandya’s next target could be the three-match home ODI series against South Africa, to be played eight days after the end of India’s Test series in New Zealand.