Rahane made 136 runs and Pujara made 124 runs in SA Test series.
Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir said that Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane wouldn’t be surprised if they dropped from the Indian team after their poor show in the Test series against South Africa.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane’s poor performance in the Test series against South Africa has put their place under scrutiny. The senior batters despite their struggle in recent times were backed by team management for the series.
But they failed to deliver the goods with the bat in the Test series against South Africa and never looked settled in the middle. While Cheteshwar Pujara scored 124 runs at 20.66, Ajinkya Rahane amassed 136 runs at 22.66.
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Following their failure, calls regarding their omission from the Indian Test team has risen drastically as many fans and pundits are of the opinion that team management should look forward now and the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari and Shubman Gill should be given opportunities.
Speaking on Star Sports, former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir said that Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have received backing from the team management to be the core but management also needs to keep an eye on Hanuma Vihari, who is 28.
"Pujara and Rahane have received enough support, there are no two ways about it. The team management has backed the pair to the core. But you also need to see that Vihari is 28 years old," Gautam Gambhir said.
Gautam Gambhir further said that team management should back Hanuma Vihari, Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill before they fade away.
He added that Rahane and Pujara might be well aware that they have been given enough chances and if they get dropped they wouldn’t be surprised.
"You've to back him now before he fades away. Same with Shreyas Iyer, who has already shown his potential with a century in Kanpur. Shubman Gill is also a bright prospect. Both Rahane and Pujara know that they have been given enough chances and they wouldn't be surprised if they get dropped from the next series," he said.
(Star Sports Inputs)