‘He Practised With Red Ball Because...’: Parthiv Refutes Hardik Pandya’s Red-Ball Return Rumours

Hardik Pandya , an all-rounder for Team India, recently sparked a buzz after being spotted training in the nets. The most interesting aspect was Pandya's net bowling with the red ball, which he hadn't done in a long time. As India began their test schedule with the Bangladesh series, Pandya's red-ball practice caused quite a stir. But Parthiv Patel has debunked the theory and put an end to the speculation.

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India All-Rounder Hardik Pandya ’s Red-Ball Return Rumours Rubbished by Parthiv Patel

During an appearance in JioCinema on the Day 2 broadcast of the India vs Bangladesh match in Kanpur, Parthiv Patel touched upon Hardik Pandya 's videos where he was seen training with a red ball. The clip sparked a frenzy upon the India all-rounder's return to Test Cricket. But Parthiv refuted the speculation, saying that Hardik had to practice with the red ball since the white one wasn't available. He also insisted that his body would not allow him to play red-ball, which features multiple-day match-ups

"I'm not looking at Hardik Pandya (in Tests). He was practising with the red ball only because the white ball wasn't available. 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," Parthiv Patel said.

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Hardik was last seen in action for Team India in the Sri Lanka T20I series, in which Team India won 3-0 against the hosts. Hardik Pandya was a part of the side, with Suryakumar Yadav leading the charge as the new T20I skipper. But Hardik may not be seen in action for a while since the Men in Blue have a thorough test schedule in place.   

Day 1 of the Kanpur Test had early stumps as poor lighting conditions and rainfall marred the play. India has scalped three wickets, with Akash Deep scalping two and Ashwin taking one to keep India in a dominant stance.

Day 2 of the play hasn't yet begun, as the covers are still in place after the overnight rainfall. The teams have also left the venue to return to their hotels, and the second day of play is yet to begin. The opening session has been washed out, and the chances of the game resuming on day two are very slim.