Star Test batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have been excluded from the Indian Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against South Africa. Rahane, who captained India to victory in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy and was the leading run-scorer in the World Test Championship final earlier this year, along with Pujara, have not been selected for the South Africa tour. Pujara's form has been waning recently, and Rahane hasn't been a regular in Indian Test team over the past few years.
However, India's legendary pacer Zaheer Khan believes this is not the definitive end for Rahane and Pujara. He suggests that such setbacks are common among the best players and advises them to stay motivated and prepared for future opportunities.
“These phases are very tough for cricketers like you know those who are in that situation. End of the day what matters is how you look at the situation, you know whether you are enjoying first-class cricket, you are going, to play county you know those kinds of things, if it is exciting you then you gotta keep yourself ready because in the past you have seen instances where you know two Test matches here, five Test matches against England, anything can happen. Someone getting injured, someone out of form, people might go back to exploring different options,” Zaheer said, as quotes by Cricketaddictor.
“So these things happen but as an individual, it is very tough to motivate in these situations but if you are looking at the situation positively if you do things that are in your hands and if you are enjoying being captain and putting the team together and keeping yourself going it is probably gonna help you.”
“So you have to find your own motivation and let the others do their job. Selectors doing their job, coaches, captain and the team management they figure out their own thing but the bottom line is you gotta enjoy cricket,” Zaheer further added.
Pujara has played 103 Tests for India, accumulating 7195 runs at an average of 43.61, including 19 hundreds. Rahane, in his 85 Test appearances for India, has scored over 5000 runs at an average of 38.46, hitting 12 centuries in his career.
India's quest for their maiden Test series win in South Africa has been hampered by injury setbacks. Mohammed Shami and Ruturaj Gaikwad are sidelined due to injuries, while Ishan Kishan has opted out of the series, citing mental exhaustion. The selection committee named KS Bharat and Abhimanyu Easwaran as substitutes. Notably, Pujara and Rahane were not considered for the batting replacement roles. There has been no declaration yet about a substitute for Mohammed Shami.
Rahane has demonstrated remarkable leadership abilities and boasts an impressive success rate as a captain. However, the emergence of new talents and the consistent performances of senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have led to his recent overlook by the selection committee. In the case of Pujara, a dip in form since 2021 has prompted selectors to explore younger alternatives for his role.
Both players, who are among India's most accomplished Test batsmen, are currently experiencing a challenging period in their careers. Despite this, the possibility remains that they may be reconsidered for future tours with the Indian team. Their long-standing role as reliable performers in crucial situations has been significant for Team India.
The inaugural Test match of the series between India and South Africa is set to begin in Centurion on Tuesday, December 26, with the second and concluding match scheduled in Cape Town from January 3 to 7.
India's Test Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wk), Abhimanyu Easwaran.
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