India's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has sparked speculation about his potential return to Test cricket after posting a video of himself bowling with a red ball during a training session in England. The 30-year-old, who has not played a Test match since September 2018, shared the footage on Instagram, causing a buzz on social media.

Pandya has been absent from Test cricket for several years due to persistent back issues, including undergoing a lower back surgery in 2019. He turned down an opportunity to play in the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia, stating that he did not want to take the place of a regular red-ball player since he had not been involved in the format for a long time.

Despite his absence from the longest format, Pandya remains India's premier pace-bowling all-rounder, with a skill set unmatched by other options like Shivam Dube and Nitish Reddy. His potential return to Test cricket could provide a major boost to India's balance, especially with his ability to contribute with both bat and ball. However, no official word has been made regarding his return to the red-ball format, leaving fans to speculate on the possibility.

The videos posted on social media suggest that the all-rounder is trying to ramp up his workload before the Bangladesh T20 series in October but he is yet to intimate the team management about his plans for red-ball cricket. Check out the story here:

Pandya has played two competitive games, the T20s against Sri Lanka, since the World Cup final in June.

"It's heartening to know that Hardik is bowling with red ball but has he really spoken to men who matter (chief selector Ajit Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma) about his intentions?," a senior BCCI source asked.

It is understood that if he doesn't play any domestic red-ball cricket, he can't be directly picked for Test cricket even though he could bring in the required balance in Australia as the fourth pacer and No.7 batter.

Having skipped Duleep Trophy due to workload management, it will be interesting to see if he plays red-ball cricket for Baroda.

Inputs from PTI