'Kohli has been vocal in letting Rahane, Pujara know what the situation is': Former India selector Raju

“Pujara and Rahane know what is expected from them in this Indian team. They know what Virat Kohli wants from them. He has been vocal in letting them know what the situation is,” said former India spinner Venkatapathy Raju in an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times.

Intent is one of the most stressed words when India captain Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri speak before and after a Test series. The same, however, has been missing from one of India’s mainstays in the longest format for quite some time now. Cheteshwar Pujara’s approach, Ajinkya Rahane’s inconsistency, and lack of impactful runs from both of them have started to pinch Team India. The problems mount with each passing Test match.

'Virat Kohli has been vocal in letting Ajinkya Rahane (not in picture), Cheteshwar Pujara know what the situation is' (Action Images via Reuters)

Since January 2019, Pujara has scored only 1050 runs in 20 Tests at an average of 32.81, which is considerably lower than his career average of 45.86. Moreover, his strike rate of 38.07 in that period is the lowest ever in his Test career of more than a decade.

Rahane is faring no better. Ever since that scintillating hundred in Melbourne that scripted one of cricket’s greatest turnarounds, the Indian Test vice-captain has registered only one fifty-plus score. His average of 20.61 in the 8 Tests he played after that boxing day Test in Australia – all in 2021 – is the worst of his career in a calendar year.

India captain Kohli had hinted at making changes and bring players with the ‘right mindset’ into the Test-match set-up after the WTC final loss to New Zealand but India decided to go in with their experienced players in the first Test against England in Nottingham, where both Pujara and Rahane could not trouble the scorers much.

“Pujara and Rahane know what is expected from them in this Indian team. They know what Virat Kohli wants from them. He has been vocal in letting them know what the situation is,” said former India spinner Venkatapathy Raju in an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times.

Raju, who has been observing both Pujara and Rahane’s careers closely, said he was surprised to see Pujara still maintaining the same approach.

“I’m a bit surprised to still see Pujara taking so many balls. We’ve seen him score quickly when he gets those big hundreds and double hundreds in domestic cricket but in Test cricket, it has a lot to do with the kind of starts the openers provide. But if you want to win Test matches and gain points in WTC then that intent of yours matters. By intent, it does not mean you start playing shots but just try to keep the scoreboard moving, score a bit quickly. You can see in on Rahane and Pujara’s faces, I think they’ve already been told what they’re supposed to do,” Raju, who was previously a part of Indian selection committee said.

India have the likes of Hanuma Vihari in their side, who has not been getting regular opportunities but Raju said, it would be unfair to look at alternatives of Pujara and Rahane this early but when Vihari’s time finally comes, then the team management has to ensure he gets enough matches.

“All the players are under pressure when they don’t do well. Consistency is the key. These (Pujara and Rahane) guys are experienced and slowly we would require at least one of these two guys to score more consistently. We saw in the second innings Pujara coming out and playing a bit more aggressively. The discussions will always be there but if we are talking about a young guy coming in then we should be looking at him for the future and not just one series.

“Luckily for India they have the bench strength. There are players who can fill the big shoes. But we should give them proper time to prepare. The biggest disadvantage they have nowadays is that they don’t get to play enough practice games. Straightaway coming into a Test match can be difficult and can put you under more pressure, especially the youngsters. Somebody like a Vihari, who hardly gets to play. You straightaway put him and somehow doesn’t score runs then it will put more pressure on him,” he added.

The former India left-arm spinner said if Pujara changes his approach a bit and Rahane finds the consistency, then they can still become the match-winners that India want them to be in red-ball cricket.

“They have done so well in the past. I think if they can just change their intent and mindset, they can again be the main guys to help India win. We saw that in Australia. Rahane scored a brilliant hundred in Melbourne. Pujara did not get to three figures, but he was there like a wall.

“Be a little more consistent Rahane and to Pujara, his intent has to change a bit,” he said.

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