Recently, a picture of Hardik Pandya bowling with a red ball caused a stir on social media. Fans and cricket experts started speculating about his potential return to Test cricket.

Hardik has been out of Test cricket for a while, focusing solely on white-ball formats due to his injuries. This picture, however, reignited discussions about his possible comeback to the longer format of the game.

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Parthiv Patel, former India wicketkeeper, addressed these rumours and provided clarity on the situation.

Why was Hardik Pandya bowling with a red ball?

Parthiv Patel, speaking on JioCinema, revealed that Hardik Pandya was seen practising with a red ball only because no white balls were available at that time.

This practice session wasn’t a sign of a planned Test comeback. According to Parthiv, the all-rounder has been dealing with injuries, which makes it difficult for him to play longer formats like Test cricket.

“I’m not looking at Hardik Pandya (in Tests). He was practising with the red ball only because the white ball wasn’t available.” Parthiv said.

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What is Parthiv Patel’s opinion on Hardik Pandya’s Test future?

Parthiv Patel believes Hardik Pandya is unlikely to return to Test cricket anytime soon. He mentioned that Hardik’s body may not be fit for the demands of four-day or five-day matches.

“I don’t think his body allows four-day and five-day matches. He has to play at least one first-class game (before being considered for selection in Tests), which is very unlikely,” he added.

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Patel also discussed India’s bowling combinations for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand and Australia. He felt India missed a chance to give Yash Dayal a debut in the second Test against Bangladesh.

According to him, it would have been an ideal opportunity before facing tougher teams like New Zealand, where experimentation might not be possible.

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While fans were excited by the image of Hardik Pandya practising with a red ball, it seems the rumours of his Test comeback are not based on reality.

The former India international also claimed that Hardik’s body may not be up for the challenge of Test cricket, making his return to the longer format unlikely for now.