Karsan Ghavri questions decision to ignore Cheteshwar Pujara for England series

Karsan Ghavri questions decision to ignore Cheteshwar Pujara for England series

NEW DELHI: Former India player Karsan Ghavri criticised the decision to omit veteran Cheteshwar Pujara from the Test series against England, particularly given the depleted batting line-up in the absence of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul.

Pujara, a seasoned player with 103 Tests under his belt, has been excluded from the squad since the series in the West Indies, with selectors seemingly opting to focus on younger talents.

Ghavri’s remarks suggest his disagreement with the selectors’ decision, possibly highlighting the experience and stability that Pujara could bring to the Indian batting order, especially in the absence of key players. The decision to look ahead and exclude a seasoned campaigner like Pujara might be seen as a shift towards rebuilding the team with an eye on the future.

“I don’t understand the reason why Cheteshwar Pujara was dropped. He should have been in the Indian team right from the first Test,” Ghavri told PTI on the eve of the third Test in Rajkot, the home ground of Pujara.

“At first, Virat Kohli was not playing the first two Tests and now it has been announced that he would not be playing the remaining three Tests. Cheteshwar was not only the greatest replacement but the greatest player they should have included,” added the 72-year-old.

In the absence of Kohli, who withdrew from the series citing personal reasons, and with Rahul sidelined due to injury, the Indian batting lineup has faced challenges in the ongoing five-match series against an England side.

Shubman Gill has been tried at No. 3 with limited success, and Shreyas Iyer, who initially took the No. 4 spot, has been dropped after failing to make an impact.

It is likely that Sarfaraz Khan will make his debut in place of Iyer, providing a fresh option in the middle order. Additionally, another young talent, Devdutt Padikkal, has been named as Rahul’s replacement in the squad, indicating a strategic move to infuse new blood into the team and explore options for the future.

The Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, is making changes to address the challenges posed by the absence of key players and to strengthen the batting lineup.

Pujara, however, has not given up on hope and is doing well in the ongoing Ranji Trophy. The veteran has already scored 673 runs at an average of 74.77 for Saurashtra and will play in their concluding league match against Manipur from Friday.

“He is still fighting, he is still in good form, he is very much in good shape and even if he comes back, I won’t be surprised,” Ghavri said.

He further spoke about captain Rohit Sharma’s dip in form and said a big knock is round the corner.

“Rohit Sharma is a great player and there is no doubt about it. This kind of player only requires one big innings. One good 50, 60, 70 or 100, he will be on track,” he added.

The series is tied 1-1 going into the third Test, starting from Thursday.

(With PTI inputs)

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