Indian selectors have responded strongly to the team’s bitterly disappointing 2-1 Test series loss in South Africa and have dropped middle-order veterans Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane for the home series versus Sri Lanka.
Pujara and Rahane were two notable exclusions from the squad announced by chief selector Chetan Sharma on February 19, where Rohit Sharma was confirmed as the team’s new full-time Test captain as well.
But contrary to indications, the skipper said the door remains open for both the cricketers. As a result, they were asked by the selection committee to go and play the Ranji Trophy, which returned after a two-year gap this week.
Sharma said the communication with Pujara and Rahane was absolutely clear. They were told immediately after the South Africa series they won’t be considered for the two Tests versus Sri Lanka and that the selection panel expects them to feature for their respective Ranji teams.
Pujara and Rahane were backed wholeheartedly by India throughout the 2020-21 overseas cycle, including tours to New Zealand, Australia, England and South Africa. But the duo, especially Rahane, struggled to rejuvenate their games. Pujara made some valuable contributions, but the consistency expected out of the No.3 batter was missing. Since the start of 2020, he averages 26.29 over 20 Tests, while Rahane 24.08 from 19 Tests.
Failing over a long period when India are rich with options on the batting front while approaching their mid-thirties has put a big question mark on Pujara and Rahane’s future. However, Sharma conveyed to the press that the door of comeback is not closed on either of the two.
“Why not?”
he said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo, when asked if the duo can make a comeback in near future.
“They have played for the country for so long, why not? Ajinkya got a hundred yesterday. A cricketer’s graph goes up and down. It is very important for the selectors to take care of the cricketers when they are going through a rough phase. You can’t just strike their name permanently.”
“We have told them that we will not consider for these two Test matches. There is nothing wrong if we have told the four of them that we are not considering them for these two matches. We will consider them later.”
Apart from Pujara and Rahane, India have also dropped senior quick Ishant Sharma and wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha. Sharma said his communication with those two was also along similar lines, as selectors expect them to go back to Ranji Trophy and claim their return to the side.
Not long ago an indispensable part of India’s pace attack, Ishant didn’t play a single Test in South Africa and has been struggling with injuries for over two years. Given that he is only 33, a comeback still seems like a realistic possibility.
In Saha’s case, however, this does feel like the end of the road for the Bengal keeper, who played back-up to MS Dhoni in the early part of his career before losing his spot to Rishabh Pant in 2018-19. The 37-year-old revealed in an interview with Sportstar he was told by the team management in South Africa that he might not be considered anymore.
“As we started speaking, Rahul bhai (head coach Rahul Dravid) said, ‘I don’t know how to tell you this, but for a while, a few selectors and the team management are thinking of trying a new keeper’.”
“I asked him whether it is because of my age or fitness, but Rahul bhai told me that it is not just because of age or performance. They were looking at younger talents, and since you are not playing in the eleven, we thought of looking at other talents…,”
Saha confirmed, with his absence paving way for KS Bharat’s inclusion to the squad as Pant’s immediate back-up.
