Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra (Image Credit: Twitter)

Former India batsman Aakash Chopra speaks about the recent reports which have stated that senior batsman Cheteshwar Pujara may be dropped from India’s eleven in the upcoming Test series against England, starting August 4 at Trent Bridge.

The reports came in after Pujara’s low scores of 8 and 15 in the WTC final loss to New Zealand last month. Also, the right-hander, who was a significant contributor towards India’s twin series triumph in Australia, hasn’t hit a Test ton in more than two years – his last three-figure coming in January 2019 in Sydney – and has averaged an ordinary 28.03 in this period with 9 fifties under his belt.

Aakash Chopra, however, doesn’t believe these reports and is confident that Pujara will start in the Trent Bridge Test match.

Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara (Image Credit: Twitter)

“Reports come but I am not believing that news because the last time India had toured England, Cheteshwar had scored a century. Yes, I know what you are thinking that his average is less than 30 in England and he has toured there two or three times,” Aakash Chopra said in an uploaded video on his Facebook page.

“But I definitely see Cheteshwar Pujara playing in the first Test match. In my opinion, at this point in time, I will not touch him. I will continue with Cheteshwar Pujara,” he added.

His style of play is very good for him: Aakash Chopra

The criticism which is following the number 3 batsman is that despite spending a lot of time in the middle, he doesn’t score runs quicker – since January 2020 he bats at a strike rate of 30.20 – and it puts pressure on the other batsmen.

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Aakash Chopra says that the recent form of Pujara is an aberration and despite him scoring some crucial runs, he needs to put up a big score.

Cheteshwar Pujara, ICC World Test Championship
Cheteshwar Pujara (Image Credit: Twitter)

“He didn’t score runs recently in the WTC as well. His style of play is very good for him, the team also benefits a lot at times but repeatedly controversy raises its head that you are taking so much time and not moving the game forward.

“I will also expect from Pujara, his average of 29 in England and the same average in the two-year WTC cycle, that’s not what Pujara is made of. He played all the matches, there were some important knocks, but the big runs have not come,” the commentator stated.

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