"Their Chapter Is Closed": Ex-India Star's Harsh Verdict On Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane's Test Career

15.01.2024 - 10:37 sports.ndtv.com

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra said on Saturday that doors to the Test team for veteran middle-order batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are closed but with the former's Indian Premier League (IPL) career still alive, he will be relevant for a longer time as he plays in the league for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), captained by MS Dhoni.

The Men's Selection Committee on Friday announced India's 16-member squad for the first two Tests against England. India are set to play a five-match Test series, the first of which will be held in Hyderabad on January 25.

The series will conclude on March 11. Rahane and Pujara have not been selected for the series. On his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "The squad is along the expected lines.

We had expected Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara not to be there. I feel that chapter is closed. If you did not pick them in South Africa, that was the last opportunity to pick them.

cricket India Cricket Team England Cricket Team 2024 Test on Aakash Chopra Ajinkya Rahane Cheteshwar Pujara South Africa India

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra was critical of batters Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer's recent performances, saying that time is running out for them and both have one more knock left before things takes turn for worse for the young batting duo. India is taking on England in the second Test at Visakhapatnam. Both Gill and Iyer failed to make an impact once again, throwing away their wickets after decent starts for 34 and 27 runs respectively. This continues their recent poor run of form in Test cricket.

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Former India captain Anil Kumble feels that the embattled Shubman Gill has been given the kind of "cushion" that veteran Cheteshwar Pujara never got and the young batter needs to make it count in the second Test against England or risk being under tremendous pressure. The 24-year-old Gill has not scored a half century in his last 11 Test innings. He scored a 128 in India's first innings against visiting Australian in Ahmedabad in March last year, but after that his highest score has been 36.

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India skipper Rohit Sharma on Wednesday hinted that the Test career of veterans Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane might not be revived as the focus has shifted to giving more opportunities to younger players. Once Virat Kohli decided to skip the first two matches against England, the possibility of including either Pujara or Rahane to the India Test squad was discussed widely but if one is aware about the thought process of current selection panel headed by Ajit Agarkar, they are not in a mood to look back.

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The upcoming Test series between India and England will see two members of the 'Fab-4' of Test cricket square off against each other. India's Virat Kohli and England's Joe Root have been two of the most consistent batters in the format over the past decade. Australia's Steve Smith and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson are the other two members of the 'Fab-4' of Test cricket. After overcoming a lean patch with the bat, former India opener Aakash Chopra suggested that Kohli is back among his peers.

Ignored For England Tests, Cheteshwar Pujara Now Part Of Elite List Led By Sunil Gavaskar

Indian middle-order batting veteran Cheteshwar Pujara completed 20,000 runs in first-class cricket, becoming the fourth Indian batter to reach the mark. Pujara accomplished this milestone during Saurashtra's Ranji Trophy match against Vidarbha in Nagpur. In the match, Pujara had a solid outing. In the first innings, he scored 43 in 105 balls, with four boundaries and a six. Later in the second innings, he scored 66 in 137 balls, with 10 boundaries. Saurashtra won the match by 238 runs.