Sehwag reckons Hardik Pandya will be 'crucial' for India in Tests, once he begins bowling

As India gear up to lock horns with Australia for the Border Gavaskar Trophy in the longest format of the game, the Men in Blue will be missing the services of star all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who has been excluded for the Test series. Pandya had led the Indian team to a victory in the T20 series and had also played a stellar knock during the ODIs. Despite his form, the all-rounder had been excluded from the Test series due to his back injury which has restricted his bowling abilities. 

However, veteran Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag believes that Pandya will be 'crucial' in Indian Test squad once he is fit to bowl. The former explosive opener heaped praise on the all-rounder's quick scoring abilities and stated that India would be in a good position to win Test matches once he starts scoring fiercely at number 6 or 7. 

“If he was bowling, then he would have been a part of the Test team. It is possible Hardik Pandya might have told the selectors not to consider him for the Test matches as he is not bowling fit and that he will only play in the ODIs and T20Is and that he will join back his family,” Virender Sehwag said on the Sony Sports Network. 

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“But no doubt when he starts bowling, he will be a crucial part of the Test team. Because the manner in which he bats in ODI cricket or T20Is, imagine if he starts scoring those quick runs at No.6 or No.7 in Test cricket, India will be in a good position to win Test matches,” he added. 

After the end of the limited-overs series, Hardik Pandya had expressed that he does not mind staying back for the Test series if needed. "It's a different ball game, I think I need to be, I mean I don't mind but at the end of the day, the call is on the management. So, yeah, I don't think I can say much about it," the all-rounder had said. 

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India look to snap Australia's winning streak 

The odds are against India heading into the Adelaide Test and they will need to play out of their skins in order to come out on top and rewrite history. Kohli & Co. have their task cut out come December 17 as the Aussies have not lost a single D/N Test match ever since their first contest against New Zealand back in November 2015. The top-ranked Test side have since gone on to win all the five matches that have been played under lights at home. 

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However, the Men in Blue will miss their skipper Virat Kohli after the first test as he is set to fly back home for the birth of his first child. The Melbourne Cricket Ground (26-30 December) will host the Boxing Day Test, before the action moves to the Sydney Cricket Ground (7-11 January) and the Gabba (15-19 January). As per reports, Rohit Sharma has been deemed fit and will be set to appear in the last two tests.

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