Sourav Ganguly Identifies This Key India Player For Test Cricket

Sourav Ganguly cautioned against hasty assessments of India’s Test cricket future based on their loss to Australia in the WTC final.

Sourav Ganguly, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, urged caution in drawing conclusions about India's future in Test cricket based on their loss to Australia in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final. Despite India not winning an International Cricket Council (ICC) title in the past decade, Ganguly emphasised the presence of a talented pool of players ready to lead the team forward in Test cricket.

Ganguly stated that it would be premature to judge the team solely on one loss, as India has always had abundant talent. He emphasised the significance of experienced players like Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, highlighting that Kohli, being only 34 years old, still has much to offer.

The former captain spoke about the depth of India's reserves and urged selectors to consider players' performances in domestic cricket rather than focusing on their IPL records, especially when it comes to Test cricket.

Ganguly mentioned promising players such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rajat Patidar, and Abhimanyu Easwaran, who have consistently performed well in domestic cricket. He also expressed his desire to see the young Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Hardik Pandya, particularly in challenging conditions.

“Whether it be Jaiswal or Patidar, Abhimanyu Easwaran from Bengal scores a lot of runs. Shubman Gill is young, Ruturaj Gaikwad and I hope Hardik Pandya is listening. I want to see him play Test cricket, especially in these conditions,” Ganguly told India Today.

While Pandya faced uncertainty due to a back injury during the 2018 Asia Cup, he has showcased his skills as an all-rounder in limited-overs cricket since early 2022. His leadership abilities have also grown, leading the Gujarat Titans to victory in the 2022 IPL and reaching the final in 2023. Despite these achievements, Pandya has yet to return to Test cricket since his injury in September 2018, having played his last Test match at that time.

In his Test career, spanning 11 matches, Pandya scored 532 runs at an average of 31.29, including four half-centuries and one century. He also claimed 17 wickets, including a five-wicket haul. Pandya expressed his willingness to earn a place in the Test team, acknowledging the need to prove himself through the grind of first-class cricket.