‘If selectors think it’s the end…’: Ex-India opener questions Cheteshwar Pujara’s exclusion from Test squad

India’s squad for their upcoming two-Test series against the West Indies has received mixed reactions. While there have been good wishes for Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mukesh Kumar, two potential debutants in the series, former players have criticized the selectors for not choosing Sarfaraz Khan and dropping Cheteshwar Pujara.

Although Pujara had a disappointing performance during India’s defeat to Australia in the final of the World Test Championship, former captain and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar highlighted that the team’s batting had collectively failed. Gavaskar further expressed his belief that India should have rested most of their senior players for the West Indies series, and dropping only Pujara seems like making him a scapegoat.

Former India women’s head coach, WV Raman, has now voiced his dissatisfaction with the treatment of Pujara. He finds it perplexing that India plans to play one of four possible openers in the No.3 position that Pujara has vacated.

“The problem is that they have picked four possible openers, and they have dropped Pujara, which is another bone of contention. A cricketer like Pujara has done a lot for Indian cricket, and he has been instrumental for India winning both at home and abroad on quite a few occasions,” Raman told former India opener Aakash Chopra on the latter’s Youtube channel.

“He is a gritty customer. He was even elevated to vice-captaincy quite recently but a failure in the WTC final, he finds that he is left out in the cold. I think this is one decision that has not gone down well with many people, and I, personally, as well, I am not for it.”

Raman suggested that Pujara deserves a fitting farewell if indeed his Test career has reached its conclusion. The 35-year-old cricketer has showcased his prowess in 103 Test matches, accumulating an impressive total of 7195 runs at an average of 43.60. This remarkable feat includes an impressive tally of 19 centuries and 45 half-centuries.

“He deserves to be treated properly. In the event, if they think it’s the end of Pujara, he could have been given a better exit, but that’s how things happen sometimes, and this is not the first case again. There are a lot of precedences as far as this kind of treatment is concerned.”

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