‘They’re not small children….’: Former Pak captain lashes out at Team India senior pros Rahane, Pujara

India and New Zealand played out a riveting draw in the first Test at Green Park, Kanpur. Ahead of the second and final Test, in Mumbai, Team India will be strengthened by the return of regular captain Virat Kohli. While the home side will look to win the final Test and claim the two-match series, they will also hope for their two senior pros in the form of vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara to end their respective dry spells with the bat.

Both Pujara and Rahane failed to get going in the series opener. While Rahane has only a solitary fifty following his last Test ton, in late 2020, Pujara has not scored a hundred since January 3, 2019. Though the No. 3 batter has played several important knocks since his last triple-figure score, his overall numbers aren’t very encouraging.

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Thus, former Pakistan captain and left-hander Salman Butt, while analysing India’s performance in a video on his YouTube channel, has lashed out Rahane and Pujara. In addition, he feels it is high time that the duo end their barren runs in whites.

Butt told, “Rahane and Pujara need to apply what they have. What are they waiting for? With this amount of experience, one needs to deal with their problems on their own. They are not small children for someone to come and pat on their back. That time has passed for them. Now is the time to take the bull by the horns.”

“You have seen enough ups and downs. Remember how you returned to form earlier. Don’t forget you are the captain (for Kanpur Test). A leader needs to charge others. If he himself is constantly searching for form, then things won’t work. Even if he is losing his battle within, he needs to come up and try something and go down fighting,” he added.

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For India, they will have to make a tough call on whom to drop as Kohli will walk into the playing XI for the second and final Test versus the Kane Williamson-led Black Caps. The final Test will kick off from December 3 at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. 

Soon after the IND-NZ Tests, Kohli & Co. will gear up for the three Tests versus South Africa, in the African nation. Hence, they will hope for Pujara and Rahane to get some runs under their belt in the series finale versus New Zealand.