Parthiv Patel Dismisses Hardik Pandya Test Comeback Rumors

Hardik Pandya's recent practice with a red ball has sparked speculation about a potential comeback to Test cricket, where he hasn't played since September 2018 due to injuries. However, former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel dismissed these rumors, emphasizing that Pandya was merely practicing with the red ball due to the unavailability of white balls. Patel noted that Pandya's body may not withstand the physical demands of multi-day matches, suggesting he would need to participate in first-class cricket before being considered for the Test team. The all-rounder has focused on limited-overs formats since his return from injury, with a need to prove his fitness in domestic competitions like the Ranji Trophy. With the upcoming five-Test series against Australia, Patel mentioned the importance of selecting fit players for the squad. Pandya's last first-class appearance was in December 2018, and he has not been selected for recent ODI series due to workload management concerns.