There Are Question Marks Raised On Their Future: Sanjay Bangar On Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane Being Dropped From Sri Lanka Test Series

Mar 1, 2022 at 2:01 PM

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There Are Question Marks Raised On Their Future: Sanjay Bangar On Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane Being Dropped From Sri Lanka Test Series

Sanjay Bangar has pointed out that Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara getting dropped for the Test series against Sri Lanka raises doubts about their future Team India prospects.

Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara have endured a torrid time in Test match cricket in recent times. The duo, along with the experienced pair of pacer Ishant Sharma and keeper Wriddhiman Saha, have been sidelined for the upcoming two Tests against the Lankans.

Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma, and Wriddhiman Saha
Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma, and Wriddhiman Saha

Sanjay Bangar: Question Marks Raised On Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara’s Test Future

During an interaction on Star Sports, Sanjay Bangar was asked about the experienced Indian cricketers missing in action in the Tests against the Lankans.

Sanjay Bangar responded: “Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma – they have served Indian cricket brilliantly for many years. There are question marks raised on their future when such experienced players are dropped or when they are not selected.”

Sanjay Bangar | Twitter: ANI Digital
Sanjay Bangar | Twitter: ANI Digital

However, the former Indian batting coach added that the doors are not yet closed on the veteran trio.

Sanjay Bangar explained: “But Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara are still quite young, even Ishant Sharma is quite young. So they should not lose hope, they have to go back and continue playing domestic cricket.”

Sanjay Bangar also advised Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara to ply their trade in county cricket.

Sanjay Bangar reasoned: “Maybe Ajinkya and Cheteshwar can think of going and playing even in county cricket because that’s where they will get the opportunity to play cricket year around.

“Taking into account the international schedule and calendar, if there are openings at certain points in time, I am pretty sure they will try and force their way back into the Indian team.”

Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara are representing their respective teams in the ongoing Ranji Trophy. The former has scored a century and a half-century, apart from a duck, in his three knocks thus far.

Meanwhile, the latter has played a 91-run knock but has been dismissed for a duck and eight runs respectively in his other two innings.

Aakash Chopra Opens Up On Opportunity For Likes Of Shreyas Iyer And Hanuma Vihari In Absence Of Ajinkya Rahane And Cheteshwar Pujara

Aakash Chopra pointed out that the absence of veteran batsmen Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara in the Tests against Sri Lanka presents a great opportunity for the youngsters.

He elaborated: “One man’s loss is another man’s opportunity and the Indian selectors will also look from that angle, even the new players because Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have been the pillars of Indian Test cricket but now that they are not there, it is an opportunity.”

Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer. (Photo Source: Getty Images and BCCI)
Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer. (Photo Source: Getty Images and BCCI)

Aakash Chopra added that a new era in Indian cricket could be around the corner if the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari make the best use of their chances.

The former India opener observed: “Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari will get an opportunity and if they utilize that, you will feel that a new journey has started because it had been a long time that Ajinkya and Pujara hadn’t scored the runs that you expected from them.”

Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari are in contention to take the two middle-order berths vacated by Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara. However, Shubman Gill could also be tried in the middle order, with Mayank Agarwal opening the batting with Rohit Sharma.

Batting in place of Virat Kohli, who was rested for the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur, Shreyas Iyer scored 105 off 171 balls from No. 5. To increase his stocks even further, Shreyas Iyer scored 65 in the second innings too after his century in the first innings even as the match ended in a draw.

With veteran senior batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane no longer in the fray to be part of India’s Test Playing XI, it will be interesting to see their replacements at No. 3 and 5 for India.

Scoring at an average of just above 20, Ajinkya Rahane managed to fetch just 136 runs from the three Tests in South Africa.

Cheteshwar Pujara also scored just one fifty in the South Africa tour which India lost by 1-2 despite winning the very first Test match. The Saurashtra batter scored only 124 in the rubber.

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