Published: Dec 11, 2021, 02:21 PM (IST)
Edited: Dec 11, 2021, 02:21 PM (IST)
New Delhi: Under fire, India’s middle order batters, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara had a solid training session ahead of the important series of South Africa which will be a litmus test for the senior cricketers.
Rahane, who was recently sacked as Team India’s vice-captain due to a hamstring injury, shared a video during the training session where he striking the ball cleanly and without any issues.
View this post on Instagram
Significantly, in 2019, the batter from Mumbai scored 642 runs in 8 games with an average of 71.33. The following year, his average dropped to 38.85 in 4 games. By 2021, the 33-year-old has scored 411 runs in 12 games with a meagre average of 19.57. If we look at the statistics further, the right hand batter has only four tons in last five years.
However, the team management have also shown confidence in Rahane, who has played 79 Tests in India so far, and will be striving to prove his worth on the tour of South Africa.
Cheteshwar Pujara also posted an Instagram Reel with the caption, “Trust the process!” The video shows him warming up with exercises that include a brisk sprint on the ground.
View this post on Instagram
Pujara has played in 92 Tests in India so far, had a few good knocks during a trip to England. The No. 3 batter also scored 47 when he opened the second innings of the Mumbai Test against New Zealand, however, the Saurashtra batter has not scored a century since January 2019. His cautious nature and overly defensive nature of batting has been questioned time and again.
The emergence of a player like Shreyas Iyer, who hit a hundred on his debut, and Suryakumar Yadav, another Mumbai player who is eagerly awaiting his chance in test, has added to the pressure on the two. There have been discussions trying to get young stalwarts like Shubman Gill in the middle.
Both of these senior players have done well in overseas in the past and will be looking to prove their mettle in the upcoming tour to South Africa.
