If selectors think ‘it's the end of Pujara…’: Ex-India opener minces no words, calls for ‘better exit’ of veterans

There has been speculation as to whether Cheteshwar Pujara's Test career is over after he was dropped from the Indian squad for the series against West Indies.

India's squad for their upcoming two-Test series against the West Indies has drawn mixed reactions at best. While there have been good wishes for Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mukesh Kumar, two players who could make their debut in the series, former players have ripped into the selectors for not selecting Sarfaraz Khan and dropping Cheteshwar Pujara.

Cheteshwar Pujara had a forgettable outing in the 2023 WTC Final. (AFP)

While Pujara had a poor outing during India's defeat to Australia in the final of the World Test Championship, former captain and batting great Sunil Gavaskar pointed out that the team's batting had failed as a unit. Gavaskar further said that India should have rested most of their seniors for the West Indies series and dropping only Pujara means that they have made a scapegoat out of the veteran batter.

Former India women's head coach WV Raman has now stated that he is unhappy with the way Pujara has been treated while finding it puzzling that India intend to play one of four possible openers in the No.3 spot that he 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."

'He could have been given a better exit'

Raman said that Pujara should be given a proper send-off if his Test career has truly come to an end. The 35-year-old has played 103 Tests, scoring 7195 runs at an average of 43.60 with 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."

"The presumption is that out of the four openers, they would probably utilise one at No. 3. Whether it's Gill or Ruturaj Gaikwad remains to be seen. That is once again not explicitly stated, and that again creates a little bit of a grey area for people who are keen to know things."