Former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik talked about who can replace the veteran duo of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane when India travels to Australia for five-Tests for Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024.
The BGT 2024 will begin in Perth on November 22, and the next Test will be a day-night affair in Adelaide from December 6 onwards. The remaining three Tests will be played in Brisbane (Dec 14), Melbourne (Dec 26) and Sydney (January 3).
However, this time, the Indian team is most likely to be without Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane in their squad. The BCCI selection committee has seemingly moved on from the experienced duo, as Pujara last played for India in the WTC 2023 final in Oval. Rahane’s last Test came against West Indies in July the same year.
These two players had a huge role in India winning the last two Test series in Australia. Pujara was the highest run-getter including three centuries in India’s 2018-19 series win. Rahane, on the other hand, led India to a 2-1 series win in the absence of Virat Kohli and scored a match-winning century in the Melbourne Test win.
Dinesh Karthik was asked about Pujara and Rahane’s replacements in the Team India for Australia tour during a Cricbuzz Q&A session.
Karthik mentioned the names of Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan, stating that both batters did well in the recent five-Test series against England at home and will surely be on the flight for Australia Tests as well. He feels both the youngsters have the quality to fill the big shoes and will be trying to do their best.
“Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan. Both of those batters have done really well against England in the home series that recently happened at the start of the year. I have a feeling both of them will definitely be on that flight to Australia and will be trying to do their best. We will know if they’re able to replace both Ajinkya and Pujji (Pujara). Big shoes to fill, but they have the quality and caliber in them,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
Shubman Gill made his Test debut in the 2020-21 Australia tour in Melbourne and played a brilliant knock to set up the series-winning victory in the Brisbane Test, where India chased 328 in the second innings.
