India all-rounder Hardik Pandya will not be considered for selection for the upcoming Test series in New Zealand as he is yet to fully recover from the back injury. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the news of Pandya being ruled out of the two-Test series on Saturday.
Team India currently lead the 5-match T20I series 4-0. The T20Is will be followed by 3 ODIs from February 5. India will then play a tour match against New Zealand XI from February 14 before the Test series which will start from February 21
Hardik Pandya last played for India during the South Africa T20Is in September last year and underwent back surgery in October. The 26-year-old’s back complaint had kept him in and out of the national team since mid-2018.
“Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series against New Zealand. He travelled to London and was accompanied by NCA Head Physio Ashish Kaushik for a review by spinal surgeon Dr James Allibone. Hardik will be under rehab at the National Cricket Academy until he regains full match fitness,” the BCCI released a statement.
Pandya recently flunked the bowling workload monitoring test, which is one of the mandatory requirements after coming back from back surgery.
Pandya had told India Today last month that the injury lay-off period has been very emotionally challenging for him and he also misses being there with the Indian team.
“It has been difficult. Coming back from an injury is not easy. It looks easy when you see a guy coming back with nothing changed at all. It looks easy but the process which follows is actually tough.
“Right now, I am seeing my team. I am very happy, they are winning everything. But I miss being there. It’s not being selfish but I feel like if I would have been there, it would have not happened,” Pandya had said on India Today Inspiration.