Ahmedabad: The Indian team is unlikely to train over the next couple of days after the third Test, the pink-ball game that ended inside two days on Thursday in their favour. However, Hardik Pandya who is looking to regain fitness and get fit for bowling, turned up at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera for training along with wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant on Friday.
The all-rounder was supposed to bowl at the ground and Pant to keep on Friday, a day after the third Test ended inside two days with an India victory.
Pandya has been part of the Indian team throughout this Test series after missing out on the Test leg of the tour to Australia. He had played in the ODIs and T20I series and impressed with his batting performance.
There were talks about him staying back in Australia for Tests especially in Kohli’s absence as the India skipper was to return home for the birth of his first child after the first Test.
However, Kohli said that Pandya can make the Test side only as an all-rounder and not as a pure batsman.
Since then Pandya has been working on his bowling.
The Indian team has refrained from commenting on his injury status and fitness levels.
India No.3 Cheteshwar Pujara had last week said that he would not want to comment on the injury status of the all-rounder.
However, he seems to be on the road to recovery from his back injury.
If the pitch for the fourth Test does not assist spinners, then it could be a chance for India to play Pandya whose bowling services will be required in England in August-September or in the World Test Championship final, if India qualify.
Before that, though, he may have to bowl in the Indian Premier League for the Mumbai Indians.
By Khurram Habib
