Published 14:47 IST, July 8th 2023
'Many players have not scored': Mohammad Kaif questions Pujara's exclusion from WI tour
Mohammad Kaif has questioned the departure of Cheteshwar Pujara from the Indian squad that will play two Tests in the West Indies starting from July 12, 2023.
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Cheteshwar Pujara, who has long been the number 3 player for Team India will not feature in the forthcoming 2-match series against West Indies. His performance in the WTC final is seen as the major parameter behind the decision to exclude him. Nevertheless, Pujara is playing Duleep trophy and after he registered a century in the domestic tournament the calls of bringing him back to the team have become vocal again. While many experts have already contradicted the apparent stance of BCCI on Pujara, Mohammad Kaif has also joined the group.
3 things you need to know:
- India vs West Indies is scheduled to begin from July 12, 2023
- Cheteshwar Pujara will not feature in the 2-match Test series
- Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mukesh Kumar are the fresh call-ups to the side
Mohammad Kaif questions the exclusion of Cheteshwar Puajara from India's Test squad
After India's defeat in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, Mohammad Kaif questioned the selection committee's decision to single out Cheteshwar Pujara and drop him for the forthcoming series against the West Indies. During an interaction on 'Virtual Encounters' on DD India, Kaif was asked about his thoughts on Cheteshwar Pujara being dropped, to which he responded.
"They lost the game because they could not bowl well. If we talk about England (WTC final), Australia got almost 500 runs batting first. So we could not bowl well. Understanding the conditions probably we should have batted first and added Ashwin in the first XI." The former Indian batter added, "So all these tactical mistakes we have made. It's not just Pujara, you have got so many players who haven't scored runs. Pujara always gets dropped. It's tough to understand why they have dropped Pujara."
Will Pujara return to Team India?
Duleep Trophy: Cheteshwar Pujara hundred places West Zone firmly en route to finalhttps://t.co/MRtshR2P64
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 7, 2023
(PTI File Photo) pic.twitter.com/lUj09FIXiq
While Pujara will not feature in the upcoming Test series against West Indies, he may again make the cut if he performs consistently in the domestic circuit. Though he has started on the right foot, it remains to be seen whether some pages of this incredible chapter known as Cheteshwar Pujara still left. What do you think, will Pujara make a grand return to Team India?
14:47 IST, July 8th 2023