Ranji Trophy: Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane tangle with India spot shaky

Their prolonged struggle in the Test squad has left the seasoned campaigners under pressure to retain their spots for next month’s home series against Sri Lanka

In earlier seasons, when Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara turned out for their Ranji Trophy teams, it was mainly to help the state teams in a crucial tie or to fine tune their own game ahead of an international assignment.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane will be looking to stake a claim in the Indian squad for the Sri Lanka Test series by performing well in the Ranji Trophy.  (AP Photo)

This time though when holders Saurashtra take on 41-time winners Mumbai in a Group D fixture at Ahmedabad’s Motera Stadium from Thursday, the spotlight will be on the two seasoned batters as they look to take the Ranji route to salvage their India careers.

The position of both batters is shaky in the Indian team. The timing of Ranji Trophy thus couldn’t be better, with the home Test series against Sri Lanka starting on March 4. For Rahane, 33, and Pujara, 34—they have played 82 and 95 Tests respectively—it is like when they were starting their first-class careers. It is more about impressing the national selectors before they pick the Test squad for the Sri Lanka series. Unlike some of their contemporaries who made a name through limited-overs cricket, the duo had to go through the grind of first-class cricket for years before getting a break.

Rahane came to limelight with 1,089 runs in his second Ranji season (2008–09), starring in Mumbai’s 38th title win. He surpassed 1,000 Ranji runs in three seasons, hitting three hundreds each in 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons.

Pujara had to work harder to be taken seriously by experts because the runs made at Rajkot’s flat pitches were not deemed of high value. His chance in Tests came in his sixth year of first-class cricket. In 2013, at 25, Pujara had already scored three first-class triple-centuries—302* for Saurashtra against Orissa in 2008/09, 352 for Saurashtra against Karnataka in 2012/13 and 306* for India A against West Indies A in 2013/14.

To salvage their careers, the two are looking to take the same route again. The debacle in South Africa (1-2) has been blamed on them. It came following their poor tour of England and below-par displays against New Zealand at home.

Rahane can show his form with KKR too, but this is the only platform for Pujara.

Saurashtra coach Niraj Odedra said there’s no sign Pujara is feeling any extra pressure. “He doesn’t look desperate or anything. It looks like he has just left South Africa and is getting ready for the Sri Lanka series. He is not even thinking “this is a big game for me and I need to perform”, nothing at all.”

“He played the Ranji final two years ago and left us, but it feels like yesterday. He gives that sort of comfort to all the players.”

Saurashtra owe their recent success—they won the 2019-20 Ranji title—to focusing on the team’s strengths rather than the opposition. But when it involves Rahane, everyone takes notice. “We focus on our team; the only thing I know about Mumbai is Rahane is available.”

Odedra said: “Both are great players, have done a lot for India. Even in the last innings against South Africa, Pujara got a fifty (he scored 43). It’s good they have some time for the Sri Lanka series. Don’t you think youngsters in domestic cricket will learn a lot by just playing with Pujara and Rahane? I don’t see it as a competition, Pujara vs Rahane. Even as a coach I can learn a lot from Pujara, whenever he is around; he makes my job easier.

“The last one week he’s practicing with us, he is very particular with his training regimen. At our practice at Rajkot, he asked to bowl him with a ball which reverses a bit. He must have in his mind that he might face a bit of reverse swing from the Sri Lankans. Otherwise, he follows a simple routine—he bats for hours, does his fielding and training routine. He’s very positive about everything.”

There are reports the selectors may pick only one of them to kick-off transition in the Test side. Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer are among those jockeying for middle-order spots. To convince the selectors, they have to make a big splash.

Rahane may need a repeat of his 265* for Mumbai against Hyderabad in 2009-10. He faces a bigger challenge because he is up against a more balanced and skilful bowling attack. Pujara is up against a relatively inexperienced Mumbai bowling attack, save pacer Dhawal Kulkarni.

“No opposition wants to face this type of attack, that (bowling) was our main strength when we won the Ranji Trophy two years ago,” said Odedra.

“We have variety in our attack: Jaydev Unadkat and Chetan Sakariya depend on swing as well as seam, Chirag Jani will always give you line and length and gets his wicket by building pressure. Then we have two experienced spinners whom we can rely on (left-arm Dharmendra Jadeja with 240 wickets and Kamlesh Makvana with more than 200 wickets).”