Pujara and Rahane comeback in India test team
In the ongoing three-match Test series of the New Zealand tour of India 2024, the Indian Test team suffered a historic defeat against New Zealand, with their batting completely collapsing. This poor performance left fans disappointed, leading to suggestions that Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane should be recalled for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy if India hopes to secure a win. Let’s know about Pujara and Rahane comeback in India test team.
Both Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have been crucial components of India’s Test dominance, contributing significantly to many victories, particularly in the series against Australia.
Cheteshwar Pujara’s Test Stats
In his career, Cheteshwar Pujara has scored 7,195 runs in 176 innings, boasting an impressive batting average of 43.60, with a personal best score of 206 not out.
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Ajinkya Rahane’s Test Stats
Ajinkya Rahane has played 85 Test matches for India, scoring 5,077 runs in 144 innings, with a batting average of 38.46 and a highest score of 188.
Despite their impressive cricketing records, both Pujara and Rahane were dropped from the Indian team due to inconsistent performances in international matches. In recent Ranji Trophy fixtures, however, Pujara scored a double century, further fueling fans’ calls for their return, which they believe is essential for India’s success in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
Nevertheless, the Indian squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has already been announced, and India will proceed without Pujara and Rahane. The team is set to play five Test matches against Australia from November 22, 2024, to January 7, 2025.
In response to questions from Cricbuzz, Dinesh Karthik backed Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan, stating that they will play pivotal roles reminiscent of Pujara and Rahane in the upcoming Tests against Australia.
“Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan… both of those batters have done really well against England in the home series that took place at the start of the year. I have a feeling both of them will definitely be on that flight to Australia and will be trying to do their best. We will know whether they’ll be able to replace Ajinkya and Pujara. Big shoes to fill but they have the quality and caliber in them,” Karthik said to Cricbuzz.
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India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy:
Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed