The announcement of India's squad for the upcoming two-Test series against the West Indies in July sparked discussions regarding Cheteshwar Pujara's absence. Pujara, who had established himself as the No. 3 batsman for the team over the past decade, was not included in the squad. Speculation arose that Yashasvi Jaiswal could potentially fill the vacant No. 3 position.
Pujara takes the fall
Sunil Gavaskar, former captain of the Indian cricket team, expressed his opinion on the matter. Gavaskar believed that the selectors saw this as an opportunity to rest several senior players and provide opportunities to younger talents. He further remarked that Pujara, who was dropped from the squad, had been unfairly made a "scapegoat" following India's disappointing batting performance in the World Test Championship final against Australia.
“Why has he been made the scapegoat for our batting failures? He has been a loyal servant of Indian cricket, a quiet and able achiever. But because he doesn't have millions of followers on whatever platforms who would make a noise in case he gets dropped, you drop him? That is something beyond understanding,” said Gavaskar on Sports Today.
Selectors questioned over no media engagement
Gavaskar expressed his disappointment over the lack of an opportunity to question the selectors due to the absence of a press conference during the squad announcement. He raised concerns about the criteria used to drop Pujara while retaining other players who had also underperformed. Gavaskar lamented the absence of media interactions with the selection committee chairman or any designated person where such questions could be addressed.
Age shouldn't be a determining factor
As a former India captain and renowned Test opening batsman, Gavaskar emphasised that age should not be a determining factor for dropping Pujara, if indeed that was the reason behind the decision. He highlighted that Pujara was not the sole Indian batsman who struggled to score big in the World Test Championship final against Australia, which ended in a defeat for India by a margin of 209 runs.
In the two innings of the match, Pujara's scores were 14 and 27. While he was bowled in the first innings while leaving the ball, he was caught behind attempting an uncharacteristic uppercut shot in the second innings. However, it is worth noting that Ajinkya Rahane was the only player who managed to surpass the 50-run mark in the match. India's top four batsmen crumbled within the first 20 overs of the first innings, accumulating just 71 runs collectively.
“Yes he has been playing County cricket, he knows what the red ball is all about,” said Gavaskar about Pujara. “Nowadays players can play till they are 39 or 40, there is nothing wrong with that. They are all very fit and as long as you are producing runs or taking wickets, I don't think age should be a factor. Clearly only one man has been singled out while the others also failed. To me, the batting failed. Apart from Ajinkya Rahane, there was nobody who got any runs. So why Pujara has been made the fall guy is something the selectors need to explain,” he said.
