Hardik Pandya would be a perfect No. 7 option for India if he decides to return to the red-ball format, according to former India batsman Robin Uthappa, who thinks the all-rounder might still have a significant role to play in Test cricket.
Given how India has been utilizing their pace-bowling all-rounders, Uthappa believes that Pandya’s present level of fitness and skill set make a Test comeback far from implausible.
Uthappa elaborated on his point by pointing out that India’s recent Test lineups exhibit flexibility rather than set roles, with players like Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, and Nitish Kumar Reddy being utilized intermittently based on team balance and conditions.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Uthappa contended that if Pandya is prepared to take on a regulated workload, he will easily fit into this changing framework.
“If Hardik Pandya returns to the No. 7 spot in Tests, it would be wonderful,” Uthappa said. “The way he’s playing, anything can happen. It’s cricket. Never say never. If Hardik decides to play Test cricket, will BCCI ask him not to play? If he says he wants to play and wants to win the World Test Championship, I don’t think they would say no.”
Concerns regarding Pandya’s bowling workload in the longest format were also addressed by Uthappa, who said that contemporary all-rounders are no longer required to bowl marathon spells.
“Are all-rounders bowling 20 overs? Nitish Kumar is not bowling that much. He’s bowling around 12 overs. If Hardik bowls 12 to 15 overs per innings, I think he can do it with the way he’s fit now, the way he’s bowling and batting. It’s his own decision,” he added.
In 2018, Pandya retired from red-ball cricket due to a persistent back issue, and he last played Test and First-Class cricket. Despite sporadic fitness issues, he has now concentrated solely on white-ball formats, which has helped him become one of India’s most significant limited-overs players.
In Test matches, India has continued to experiment with all-around options, switching between Reddy, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, and even Harshit Rana under certain circumstances. With 532 runs from 11 games at an average of 31.29 and 17 wickets at 31.05, Pandya’s personal Test record is still strong despite its limitations.
Additionally, Uthappa presented Pandya’s potential comeback as a chance for him to “complete cricket,” with the World Test Championship being the only significant honor absent from his cabinet following several ICC white-ball championships.
In order to manage his workload before the 2026 T20 World Cup, Pandya is probably going to be rested for the ODI phase of the forthcoming white-ball series against New Zealand.
