Ricky Ponting picks Gujarat Titans player who could have been X-factor for India in WTC Final

It’s not that only Ricky Ponting thought about including Hardik Pandya in the WTC Final squad.

Ricky Ponting picks Gujarat Titans player who could have been X-factor for India in WTC Final

Ricky Ponting, Hardik Pandya, and Shubman Gill

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has said that Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Hardik Pandya could have made a Test comeback with the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against Australia. Ponting feels the Baroda cricketer could have been an X-factor and difference between the two teams considering his all-round abilities.

The former Aussie captain also said that although Pandya has said that his body is not Test-match ready, the all-rounder could have been called for a one-off Test. “…I thought about the other day for India in this game is how valuable someone like Hardik Pandya could be in a one-off Test match,” Ponting wrote for the ICC Review.

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“I know he is on record saying that the Test match game is probably a little bit hard on his body. But for a one-off game… he’s been bowling every game through this IPL and he’s bowling quick. He (Pandya) could be that X-factor there just to pick in a one-off game, come in and see what he can do with bat and ball. He could be the difference between the two teams.” 

What has Hardik Pandya said about his Test comeback?

hardik pandya test cricket

It’s not that only Ricky Ponting thought about including Hardik Pandya in the WTC Final squad. There were murmurs of getting Pandya back in the Test setup after he made a befitting comeback in ODIs and T20Is. The India all-rounder was also asked if he is interested to make a comeback even if it was meant for only one game. Pandya then said that it would be wrong of him to take someone else’s place. 

“No. I am an ethically very strong person. I haven’t done 10 per cent to reach there. I am not even a part of one per cent. So, me coming there and taking someone’s place will ethically not go well. If I want to play Test cricket, I’ll go through the grind and earn my spot. Hence, for that reason I will not be available for the WTC final or future Test series until I don’t feel that I have earned my spot,” Pandya said earlier this year.

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