The Wall of Indian Test team Cheteshwar Pujara is as unmoved as he is on the crease despite the selectors’ snub for the IND vs WI series. A day after Pujara was dropped from the Test team for the West Indies tour, he has begun practice all alone ahead of Duleep Trophy 2023. He will play for West Zone.
Despite notching up tons of runs in County Championship Division II, Pujara could only score 14 and 27 in the WTC Final against Australia. But more than the scores, it was the mode of dismissal that enraged many. With the West Indies tour, selectors have marked Test Reboot and the first to fall is the Wall.
Rahul Dravid and the team management want to try out younger players like Ruturaj Gaikwad or Yashasvi Jaiswal for the No 3 spot against West Indies. And, the selectors had a word with Pujara before dropping him. However, by no means the doors of India team are closed on him. Like Ajinkya Rahane, he can make a comeback too with injuries, lucky breaks, any opportunity he gets.
“Pujara is mentally very strong. I can’t comment about selection but he was working hard in the nets after the team announcement for Duleep trophy & will continue playing in the county. As a father & coach, there is no reason for me to believe why he can’t come back,” Pujara’s father told The Indian Express.
Also Read: BCCI confronts Cheteshwar Pujara regarding exculsion from Team India
However, Cheteshwar Pujara, on the wrong side of 35, does not have a long time. India’s next Test assignment is in South Africa in December. And to get there, Pujara must score a ton of runs. And even then, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul could make things difficult for him to make a comeback.
The veteran is not just competing for a spot with Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, but also against time. Duleep Trophy will be the first test of his mental resolve. A few big scores can definitely put him back in selectors’ mind.
India Test Squad for WI Series: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini.
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