The Indian cricket team is currently an intense three-match Test series against South Africa in their den and facing some challenging conditions out there. They’ve fought gamely in the first two matches but failed to latch on to the key moments which led to them losing the series with one match left.

With Hardik Pandya not been that much successful in the series, the questions are being raised over him now. However, former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has tipped him as a long-term prospect in the longest format of the game.

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Hardik was the only shining light with the bat for the visitors in the series opener at Newlands as he had smashed 93 runs at a brisk pace after the team was struggling at 92/7. But since then he has gone quiet and rather has been criticised the way he has been dismissed in last three innings.

While it was the run-out in the first innings in Centurion, he was dismissed playing a rash shot in the second innings. Even in the ongoing third Test match, he played an unpredictable shot when the team needed him to guide the tail.

Sehwag was quite vocal in his support to Pandya during the question-answer session with his fans on Facebook. He answered various questions which also included the possibility of the teams picking a particular player in the upcoming IPL auction. Similarly, one fan doubted the abilities of the Indian all-rounder and asked him whether the team management should persist with him in Tests.

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In his response, Viru said, “Definitely, I think Hardik Pandya is a long-term prospect for India in any formats and not only overseas. He is immensely talented with the bat especially but he needs to be consistent as an all-rounder as well. If it doesn’t happen, it would be a huge disappointment but it will take time for him to grow as a cricketer. His career has just started and it will take a couple of years more for him to become an exceptional player like Kapil Dev.”

Pandya will get one final chance to bat at Wanderers in the second innings before which he needs to show some skills with the bowl in helpful conditions and bring India back into the game.