Hanuma Vihari raises disturbing questions for Rohit Sharma ahead of India vs Australia Tests
Published - 27 Sep 2024, 12:02 PM | Updated - 27 Sep 2024, 11:40 PM
Out-of-favor Indian batter Hanuma Vihari believes that Cheteshwar Pujara will be a big miss for India in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Hanuma Vihari said that Cheteshwar Pujara was crucial in India's last two Test series in Australia, adding that he was the backbone of the batting lineup.
Pujara was instrumental in India's previous two Test series victories in Australia. He scored 521 runs during the 2018-19 series and 271 runs in 2020-21. Pujara was named Player of the Series in 2018-19. The right-handed batter scored three half-centuries in India's 2-1 win in the 2020-21 series.
Cheteshwar faced 1,258 balls against the Australian bowling attack of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc during the 2018-19 series. Pujara endured several blows to his body during a 211-ball innings in the fourth Test in Brisbane in 2021, and his knock helped India chase down the target.
Cheteshwar Pujara Will A Big Miss - Hanuma Vihari
Hanuma Vihari expressed concern about the impact of Cheteshwar Pujara's absence on India's chances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 series. Vihari highlighted how Pujara supported his teammates by laying a strong foundation for runs.
"Pujara will be a big miss. he was the backbone of the batting line-up in the last two series for Team India. He took blows, he batted time, he stayed there for a long time, he saw the new ball, he got runs. He made the job easier for the other batters coming in," Vihari told PTI in an interaction arranged by JioCinema.
Who Will Play Is A Question Mark - Hanuma Vihari
Hanuma Vihari questioned who will take on the crucial role of anchoring India’s batting lineup in the absence of Cheteshwar Pujara. Vihari said that the current top six batters tend to adopt an aggressive approach. He emphasized that successful batting in Australia is all about time.
"So that kind of role... who will play is a question mark for me. Currently, I would say we have an attacking mode of a batting lineup (the top six). All like to play their shots. Virat is the only one I feel in that batting lineup who can be like a glue to the other batters."
"He can stay on and bat the most number of overs and you know batting in Australia is all about time. If you see off the new ball, it gets a little easier with the older Kookaburra ball," added Vihari.
Pujara has been absent from the Test team for over a year. He last played for India in the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia. The right-handed batter scored just 14 runs in the first innings and managed 27 runs in the second during the summit clash at The Oval in June 2023.
Pujara made his debut for India in Test cricket in 2010 against Australia at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The veteran cricketer has played 103 Tests for India, scoring 7,195 runs at an average of 43.61. He has hit 35 half-centuries and 19 centuries, with a best score of 206 runs.
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