‘Among my top-three favourite cricketers in the planet’: Shane Warne ‘would love to have’ Hardik Pandya in India’s Test team

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Byhindustantimes.com

Dec 16, 2020 07:54 AM IST

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India vs Australia: Terming Hardik Pandya ‘among his top-three favourite cricketers’ Australia legend Shane Warne said that he hopes Pandya returns to the Indian Test squad when he resumes bowling again.

Australia’s legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne is a huge fan of India all-rounder Hardik Pandya and ahead of the upcoming India vs Australia day-night Test , Warne said that he wished Pandya was a part of the India Test squad. The all-rounder is still recuperating from the back surgery he had to undergo last year, and is still not ready to return to bowling duties.

Hardik Pandya being congratulated by his India teammates(Twitter)

Because of this reason, Pandya was not included in the Test squad against Australia. But his performance with the bat in the ODIs and T20Is enthralled the cricket fans all around the globe. Terming Pandya ‘among his top-three favourite cricketers’ Warne said that he hopes Pandya returns to Tests when he resumes bowling again.

“I would love to have Hardik Pandya in the Test side. I said it weeks ago, he is among my top-three favourite cricketers in the planet, I love him. Everyone said, ‘geez, that is a big call’, and I said ‘no, he’s awesome’,” Warne said on Sports Tak.

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“And suddenly, he does what he did in the ODIs and T20Is and now everyone is jumping on the bandwagon - ‘How good is Hardik Pandya!’ I just love to see him in Test side,” he added.

“I think he is in such a great form. With the loss of Virat Kohli, Pandya brings in so much with what he could do with the bat and with the way he can bowl, I think he helps the Indian team walk a bit taller.

Pandya returned as the Man of the Series in the T20Is, which India won 2-1 and even in the ODIs he was India’s highest run scorer with two scores of 90 and above.

“He is a bit of rockstar, he’s got the swagger, he’s got the strut, he’s mr. cool. When he speaks, you think he is from the West Indies. He just comes off from the beach in Antigua,” Warne said laughing.

“I would love to see him in the Test team at no. 7. Hopefully, when he could bowl, he would be back in the Test team,” he signed off.

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