Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has urged fans and critics not to draw hasty conclusions about India’s future in Test cricket following their defeat against Australia in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final. Despite a strong comeback in the third and fourth days of the match at the Oval, India succumbed to a 209-run loss after collapsing within the first session of the final day.
Ganguly emphasized that one loss should not overshadow the talent and depth of Indian cricket. He expressed confidence in India’s ability to nurture a continuous pipeline of skilled players who will carry the team forward in Test cricket. Ganguly dismissed any notion of looking beyond experienced players like Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, emphasizing their valuable contributions to the team. He pointed out that Kohli, at just 34 years old, still has much to offer.
The former captain highlighted the rich pool of talent available in Indian cricket, particularly in domestic cricket. Ganguly stressed the importance of providing opportunities to deserving players and mentioned promising individuals like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, and Ruturaj Gaikwad. He also expressed a desire to see all-rounder Hardik Pandya feature in Test cricket, especially in challenging conditions. Ganguly’s comments served as encouragement for Pandya to pursue Test cricket, despite the all-rounder’s earlier statement about earning his spot in the team.
