'I hope Hardik Pandya is listening'

Sourav Ganguly, who led the Indian cricket renaissance in the new century, wants Hardik Pandya to consider Test cricket.

In a conversation with India Today, Dada stated, 'Let's not rush to conclusions based on just one loss. India always has a pool of talented players, and I don't think it's time to look beyond Virat (Kohli) or (Cheteshwar) Pujara. Virat is only 34 years old.'

'India possesses abundant reserves of talent. When you observe certain performances, IPL performances are not to be considered if we are focusing on Test cricket. There are some outstanding players in domestic cricket, and their true potential can only be known when they are given opportunities,' Dada added.

'Players like Yashasvi Jaiswal or Devdutt Padikkal, Abhimanyu Easwaran from Bengal who consistently scores runs, Shubman Gill who is young, Ruturaj Gaikwad.'

'I hope Hardik Pandya is listening. I would like to see him play Test cricket, especially in these conditions.'

Hardik has been absent from Test cricket since August 2018. Asked recently about a return to the Test team, Hardik emphasised the importance of first going through the grind and working hard.