Why Team India's Star All-Rounder Hardik Pandya Doesn't Play Test Cricket

Hardik Pandya, whom some call as the 'next Kapil Dev', is the only pace-bowling all-rounder who has played this long for team India.

Hardik Pandya, whom some call as the 'next Kapil Dev', is the only pace-bowling all-rounder who has played this long for team India.

Hardik Pandya established himself as one of India's key players in white-ball cricket, but he hasn't been able to reach 1983 WC winner Kapil Dev's level who played 131 Tests in his career.

But why Hardik Pandya, one of the best all-rounders of this generation, doesn't play Test cricket anymore.

Hardik Pandya made his India debut in 2016 and enjoyed immense success in ODIs and T20Is. He made his Test debut in 2017 vs Sri Lanka and from here issues began.

Hardik Pandya, less than a year after making his Test debut, played his last Test match against England.

In an interview with Cricbuzz, Pandya had said his back issues is one of the reasons behind him not playing Test cricket. The problem surfaced during the Asia Cup in September 2018.

Pandya had a back surgery in 2019 due to lower back problems after which he decided to prioritize playing ODIs and T20Is as he knew how important his role is in white-ball formats.

Considering the trouble Hardik Pandya has gone through due to past back issues, fans shouldn't expect him to feature in Tests anytime soon.