Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif reckons that Hardik Pandya should be added to Team India’s Test squad for the upcoming Test series against Australia. Hardik didn’t have the best of outings in 2019, but in 2020, he has scaled a number of heights, winning his teams matches. He has been in riveting form in the ongoing limited-overs series versus the Aussies.

Though India lost the ODI series, Hardik was the leading run-scorer with 210 runs, including a match-winning 92 at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. Prior to that, he also played some great hands when Mumbai Indians won the 2020 Indian Premier League. As per Kaif, who didn’t get to play much Test cricket, it’s high time for Hardik to be added to the Test setup.

He took to Twitter and wrote, “@hardikpandya7, with an average of nearly 90, has emerged as India’s go-to batsman in white-ball cricket, behind @imVkohli. Time is ripe for Hardik to be added to the Test squad, in this red-hot form worth holding him back in Australia. “

Here’s Kaif’s tweet- 

.@hardikpandya7, with an average of nearly 90, has emerged as India's go to batsman in white ball cricket, behind @imVkohli. Time is ripe for Hardik to be added to the Test squad, in this red hot form worth holding him back in Australia

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) December 6, 2020

Hardik Pandya showing his class with the bat

In the second T20I at the Sydney Cricket Ground, it was his unbeaten 22-ball 42 that guided the Men in Blue to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Hardik feels that he’s ‘in his zone’ and doesn’t wish to get overawed by the situation.

“It can be, it cannot be as well. It’s just that it’s now getting highlighted because we’re always top-heavy. We’ve always seen India winning games when the top three score runs and I think this is for the first time we’ve got the opportunity where we have had to step it up and do it. And I think I am in a pretty good zone,” he stated.

“I am not getting too overwhelmed with the situation. I am trying to keep it neutral. It’s my job which I just did well. Now with time, I don’t think I am getting too excited about things,” he added.

As far as the Test series is concerned, it starts with the Day-Night match at the Adelaide Oval, starting December 17.