Cheteshwar Pujara’s absence from the upcoming West Indies tour has sparked questions from former India cricketer WV Raman. The ex-opener expressed his concerns regarding Pujara’s omission from India’s Test squad, highlighting his lackluster performance in the 2023 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia as the reason behind it.
As the Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, prepares to face the West Indies, they are set to engage in two Test matches, three ODIs, and five T20Is during their visit. This series holds great significance as it marks India’s initiation into the new WTC 2023-25 cycle. The inaugural Test is scheduled to take place in Dominica, commencing on July 12.
Raman chose Aakash Chopra’s YouTube channel as the platform to express his thoughts on Pujara’s exclusion. The 58-year-old emphasized that the selectors’ decision to opt for four potential openers while leaving out Pujara raised another point of contention. He further acknowledged Pujara’s immense contributions to Indian cricket, stating that the seasoned cricketer had played a pivotal role in India’s victories both at home and abroad.
“The problem is that they have picked four possible openers, and they have dropped Pujara, which is another bone of contention. A cricketer like Pujara has done a lot for Indian cricket, and he has been instrumental for India winning both at home and abroad on quite a few occasions,” Raman conveyed.
Raman further highlighted that Pujara had recently been elevated to the vice-captaincy role. However, his underwhelming performance in the WTC final resulted in his exclusion. The former cricketer expressed his discontentment with this decision, emphasizing that it did not sit well with many individuals, including himself.
“He is a gritty customer. He was even elevated to vice-captaincy quite recently but a failure in the WTC final, he finds that he is left out in the cold. I think this is one decision that has not gone down well with many people, and I, personally, as well, I am not for it,” Raman expressed.
Looking back at Pujara’s recent performances, in the first Test against Bangladesh in December 2022, he displayed his prowess by scoring 90 and an unbeaten 102. However, in his subsequent ten innings, the 35-year-old batsman could only manage to muster a solitary half-century.
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