The opening day of the World Test Championship (WTC) final saw some desperate moments for India as Australia reached a solid total of 327/3 at the stumps. While Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur managed to take a wicket each, the performance of Umesh Yadav raised concerns, as he appeared slower than usual, leading to speculation of a possible injury.

In a surprising team selection, Rohit Sharma opted for four seamers and only one spinner in Ravindra Jadeja, leaving out the world’s number-one bowler, Ravichandran Ashwin, who had to carry drinks for the playing XI. Former England captain Nasser Hussain, commentating on the match, questioned the absence of Hardik Pandya.

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“At the toss this morning, it was evident that India were unsure about their side, while Australia had a clear plan, thanks to Cameron Green’s presence. He brings balance to the team, especially in overseas conditions like England. He is the kind of cricketer India would have loved to have. Of course, Shardul Thakur is a seam-bowling all-rounder, but what about a seam-bowling all-rounder when you go overseas? Where is Hardik Pandya?” Nasser Hussain queried during the final session’s play.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting later provided an explanation, stating that Hardik Pandya had expressed his concern about it being unfair to the other Indian players if he made himself available for the one-off WTC final.

“That’s the line mentioned in commentary earlier today. Hardik made it clear that he doesn’t think his body can withstand the demands of Test cricket. He was asked about playing in a game like this, just a one-off Test to help balance the side. His response apparently was that he didn’t feel it would be fair to everyone else who had been part of the journey leading up to this game in the last couple of years,” Ricky Ponting revealed.

Indeed, Hardik Pandya had previously spoken about his ethical stance on earning his spot in the Test team.

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Ahead of the ODIs against Australia in March, Hardik Pandya had said, “I am an ethically very strong person. I haven’t done 10 percent to reach there. I am not even a part of 1 percent. So me coming there and taking someone’s place will ethically not go well. If I want to play Test cricket, I’ll go through the grind and earn my spot. Hence, for that reason, I will not be available for the WTC final or future Test series until I don’t feel that I have earned my spot.”