Hardik Pandya, an all-rounder for India, said that it would be “ethically wrong” for him to accept a berth in India’s potential World Test Championship team. Due to ongoing ailments, Hardik Pandya has only been able to play white-ball cricket for India since September of last year.
But, he was asked whether he would be prepared to wear the whites again for the one-off game at The Oval once India qualified for the World Test Championship at the pre-match press conference before the first ODI against Australia.
Hardik Pandya rules out of World Test Championship Final
Pandya was eager to rule himself out of the Final Test, despite the fact that his presence does provide India an advantage with the bat (particularly in the absence of Rishabh Pant) and the ball in swing-friendly English conditions.
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When asked whether he might be tempted to go back, Pandya said, “No, to be really honest. Throughout my life, I have a strong sense of ethics. There is still 10% of what I need to accomplish. I don’t even belong to the top 1%. Hence, it would be unethical for me to show up and replace someone.
“If I want to play Test cricket, I’ll put in the work to earn my spot, then I’ll come back. As I don’t feel like I’ve earned my position yet, I won’t be available for the ICC World Test Championship Final or any other Test matches.
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While Hardik has previously captained India in T20Is on multiple occasions, this will be his first time doing so in the first match in the ODI series against Australia. Rohit Sharma won’t be available for India’s opening game in the series, but he’ll be back for the last two contests.
The top of the order is also vacant as a result of Sharma’s absence from the first ODI. As stated by captain Hardik, Shubman Gill will be joined by Ishan Kishan at the Wankhede tomorrow after his fantastic performance in the 50-over format in 2023.
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A double ton (210 off 131 balls) was Kishan’s previous 50-over opening score against Bangladesh. Both sides get the chance to test themselves against one another throughout the series while keeping the Cricket World Cup in mind. When questioned about World Cup preparation and India’s poor recent performance in Men’s ICC competitions, Hardik stressed the value of bilateral series for training.
Hardik said, “We are not doing anything innovative. We’ll adapt our game to the circumstances, but we’ll also aim to be bold, which is something we’ve done well in the previous few games.
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“We may learn more and begin playing under pressure in both the bilateral games and the elimination rounds as they get more difficult and competitive. “The past is the past; I don’t believe we need to look at it [prior ICC tournaments] right now. We are anticipating the future and wishing for success.