'There is an issue with his bowling': Chopra says India all-rounder 'may not be seen in Test cricket for a long while'

The BCCI announced a huge squad for Team India’s tour of England and also the World Test Championship final against New Zealand that takes place on June 18. The BCCI picked a 20-member squad as India travels to England to play in the all-important WTC final as well as a five-Test series against the hosts.

Ravindra Jadeja, Hanuma Vihari, and Mohammed Shami returned to the side after recovering from injuries while the likes of Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar missed out.

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"The All-India Senior Selection Committee has picked the Indian squad for the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final and the five-match Test 1series against England," the BCCI said in a statement.

"Team India’s first stop will be in Southampton where they play New Zealand to decide the first champion of the Test format. Following their 3-1 win against England at home, India finished as the No. 1 side with 72.2 percentage points and booked their place in the final."

However, the absence of Hardik has been talked about in the cricketing circles. Former India batsman Aakash Chopra commented on the all-rounder’s non-selection and what this means for his future in Test cricket.

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"One thing is certain that if he is not there in the WTC final, it's fine but if his name is not there even for the five Tests against England, it's clear that Hardik Pandya may not be seen in Test cricket for a long while," said Chopra on his YouTube channel.

"We all felt Hardik Pandya's name will surely be there. It is obvious that if he has to play Test cricket anywhere then England, South Africa and Australia are the places where you will need Hardik Pandya the medium pacer."

Ever since his return from a back surgery, Hardik has been used sporadically and judiciously as a bowler. He bowled a little during the limited-overs series between India and Australia last December and then again, a few overs against England in the ODIs. Hardik’s exclusion from the Test squad comes mostly on the basis of his unavailability to contribute from a bowling standpoint.

There is an issue with his bowling. The captain also said sometime back that they are managing his workload, so that we can keep him safe for Test cricket," said Chopra.

"The next day itself Hardik had given a statement that he does not want to play Test cricket at the moment because the situation of his back is very bad and he doesn't want to bowl. So, this is a statement on Hardik Pandya's immediate Test career that he will not be considered now, which is completely understandable if he is not bowling."