This is a proper statement: R Ashwin lauds Hardik Pandya for his remark on Test return during WTC final

India entered the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final early this month and are set to face Australia in the title clash, set to be held at The Oval, London on June 07. Ever since India qualified for the summit clash, many felt the team management might include star all-rounder Hardik Pandya for the marquee clash with an ICC trophy at stake.

Hardik has not played a Test since India's tour of England in 2018, where he picked a five-fer. He has done reasonably well in the 11 Tests and even has a hundred to his name. Nonetheless, due to his back issues, Hardik hasn't been risked by the Indian team management in all formats and only features in white-ball cricket of late.

When he was asked if he will return in the Test arena for the WTC final, Hardik told reporters ahead of the India-Australia ODIs, "No. I am ethically very strong person. I haven’t done 10% to reach there. I am not even a part of 1%. 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 feel that I have earned my spot."

Now, veteran Indian off-spinner R Ashwin has lauded Hardik for his take on a possible Test return during the WTC final. Ashwin hailed the all-rounder and said it is a 'proper statement to the cricket fraternity and to the entire world by Hardik'.

"We have reached the WTC final and many felt that Hardik Pandya must return to the Test side. Of course, those opinions were great since Hardik has done well in England with the limited Tests he has played there. But Hardik has said that it won't do justice and, 'I will come back when I feel it's the right time to play Test cricket and I haven't even played one percent role in qualifying for the finals'. This is a proper statement to the cricket fraternity and to the entire world by Hardik Pandya," Ashwin said on his Youtube channel.

He added, "We often tend to blame others for our failures. We believe in superstitions or find other reasons because at the end of the day we are disappointed. But Hardik has accepted that he isn't eligible to play Test at the moment. That is a big statement coming from a player- like him. Hats off to Hardik Pandya."

“Why am I hyping this so much about Hardik? Well, because he led us in Rohit Sharma's absence in the first ODI against Australia. Many has praised saying that he doesn't back down from a challenge. Australia were on course for a huge total. But Hardik played a role in bringing back Siraj and Shami even after the spinners took two wickets because he felt there was something in the wicket for the pacers. To get a team all out for 188 from 155 for three is phenomenal achievement by India,” Ashwin concluded.

Hardik has played 11Tests, scoring532 runs -- with a hundred and four fifties -- along with claiming 17 wickets.