As Australia's Marnus Labuschagne attempted to mimic the resilient batting of Indian stalwart Cheteshwar Pujara in the Perth Test, he struggled on a bouncy pitch and was met with some on-field drama. Despite Labuschagne's attempts to imitate Pujara's marathon innings, his low strike rate and cheeky antics were not enough to ward off fiery confrontations with Indian bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Harshit Rana.
India's star batsman, Virat Kohli, is gearing up to take part in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he has the chance to surpass former Indian cricketer, Rahul Dravid, for the most Test runs against Australia. With just 124 runs away, Kohli could break Dravid's record of 2166 runs in 33 matches and 66 innings. Currently, Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the most runs against Australia in Tests, with VVS Laxman closely behind him at second place.
In an interview with Star Sports pressroom, Cheteshwar Pujara revealed that he wants to see KL Rahul bat at number three in the upcoming first Test against Australia. The Indian team will be led by Jasprit Bumrah in the absence of Rohit Sharma and Pujara believes that Rahul's experience at that position will be beneficial for the team. The right-handed batter has struggled with the bat in recent years but will look forward to make an impact if given the chance to bat at number three.
The absence of Cheteshwar Pujara strikes a chord of relief among the Australian team, as they gear up to face India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2024. The veteran batter has played a vital role in India's previous two tours to Australia, with his resolute batting. However, with Pujara missing from the touring squad, the hosts are happy with the opportunity to bowl to a young and inexperienced Indian batting line-up. With doubts looming over Shubman Gill's participation in the opening Test, Pujara suggested KL Rahul as the perfect choice at number three for India.
With the highly-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy series between India and Australia just around the corner, the focus is on India's batting lineup. According to Australian great Mark Taylor, India's transition from experienced players like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane to younger talents like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal has not been smooth, primarily due to the indifferent form of their star players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Taylor points out that in the past 12-18 months, Sharma and Kohli have not been making the bulk of the runs, while younger players like Jaiswal and Gill have been consistently outscoring them.
Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara made history during the Ranji Trophy match against Chhattisgarh, as he hit his 18th double ton in first-class cricket. He now holds the fourth spot on the list of players with the most first-class double centuries, behind legends such as Don Bradman and Wally Hammond. Pujara's impressive performance led Saurashtra to a commanding lead, scoring his 25th century in the Ranji Trophy.
As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) prepares to announce the team for the upcoming Australia series, all eyes are on veteran batsman Cheteshwar Pujara. With his impressive record against Australia in the last two tours, Pujara's experience could prove crucial for India's success. Meanwhile, selectors must also decide whether to give younger players a chance or stick with Pujara's proven abilities. Despite not featuring for India since the World Test Championship final, Pujara has continued to score runs, with his most recent appearance in the Ranji Trophy showcasing his skill and determination. With India facing challenges in the fast bowling department, the inclusion of players like Nitish Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, and Yash Dayal is also being considered. Mohammed Shami, who is crucial for India's bowling attack, might not be able to fully recover in time for the first matches of the series.
As the Indian cricket team prepares for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Test series against Australia, all eyes are on who will replace experienced players Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara in the playing eleven. With the return of these players seeming unlikely, Dinesh Karthik has named Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan as potential replacements. Gill and Khan have shown their abilities in recent matches, making their selection for the series highly anticipated.
Former England spin bowler Graeme Swann has revealed the difficulty of bowling to Cheteshwar Pujara, who was known for his dominance against spin in his peak. Swann admitted that his stints of taking 20 wickets and being one of the crucial factors that led to England’s win in India made him praise the batsman even more. Swann particularly mentioned Pujara’s ability to move tactfully and urged the current England team to steer clear of verbal altercations with Virat Kohli as he enjoys confrontations.
The BCCI announced its centrally-contracted players for the year on Wednesday, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retaining their spot in the top bracket. However, rising stars like Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were excluded for not playing Ranji Trophy as directed by the board. Senior off-spinner R Ashwin, who will be playing his 100th Test next week, and Mohammed Siraj, who has been promoted to A category, were the notable names in the list. Cheteshwar Pujara, Shikhar Dhawan, Umesh Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal lost their contracts, signaling the end of their road with the Indian team.