Azharuddin passes verdict on Pujara, Rahane's future: 'The only thing that might tilt the scales in their favour is...'
The road ahead seems uncertain for India's axed middle-order duo of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, and former captain Mohammad Azharuddin has produced his stand on the matter.
The road ahead seems uncertain for India's axed middle-order duo of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Long struggling for form, Pujara and Rahane were let go from the Test squad after India's disappointing 1-2 series loss in South Africa. And once Virat Kohli stepped away as captain, and Rohit Sharma took over, the transition phase began, with Pujara and Rahane being shown the exit door and their places taken by Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer.

It may be early days but Vihari and Iyer have started their journey as India’s new No. 3 and No. 5 well, with both scoring a half-century each in the Sri Lanka Tests. Furthermore, the fact that Pujara and Rahane have failed to light up the first leg of the Ranji Trophy doesn't do them any favours either, which is perhaps why former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin feels that their hopes of making a comeback into the Indian team may never materialise again.
"Rahane and Pujara might find it difficult, the only thing that might tilt the scales in their favour is the experience. But with the advent of Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari, it'll be tough. The bench strength is strong. I feel when young players come in, they need to be consistent," Azharuddin told Sportstar.
"This change of guard is a generational thing. It has happened before. The key is to identify the best players and give them more chances to perform. Do not let the mental pressure of 'whether I will get another game if I fail' affect them. Chopping and changing a squad too often is a problem."
Azharuddin weighed in on India's comprehensive 2-0 whitewash over Sri Lanka recently which saw the hosts wrap up wins inside three days. The former India captain drew parallels between the current Sri Lankan team and the one he squared off against, and feels the current crop of players lacks variety and depth, especially the bowling department.
"Most players were immensely talented, and they were also vying to compete with the best and show that they belonged at the highest echelons. They won the World Cup in 1996. They had a world-class spinner in Muttiah Muralitharan. He was their main wicket-taker; he bowled very positively and was supported beautifully by the likes of Chaminda Vaas. In comparison, their bowling attack looks very depleted now. They don't have the depth to get a team out twice," added Azharuddin.
