Former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan feels that Cheteshwar Pujara will be under more pressure compared to Ajinkya Rahane when the second Test against New Zealand begins in Mumbai on December 3rd.
Both Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have failed to perform as per the expectations in the last few months. Their places in the XI is under scanner due to continuous failures and with both failing to make an impact in the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur, things have gotten even worse for them.
While Pujara has failed to score a century for almost three years, Rahane has an unenviable average of just over 19 in 2021.
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It’s quite obvious that one of the batters from the playing XI of the first match will have to make way for skipper Virat Kohli in the second Test in Mumbai and the way Shreyas Iyer batted in his debut Test it’ll be very difficult for management to drop him.
Many fans and pundits have given their opinions about who should be dropped from the playing XI for the second Test against New Zealand and Zaheer Khan is the latest entrant who shared his views on the bandwagon.
The former Indian cricketer pointed out the selection headache for the second Test came after Shreyas Iyer grabbed his opportunity with both the hands and with Virat Kohli set to be back there needs to be space made in the middle order.
"The middle-order headache for this Test has come after Iyer's fantastic debut performance. Iyer made good use of his opportunity. Virat Kohli is sure to come in, so there needs to be space made in the middle-order,” Zaheer Khan told Cricbuzz.
Khan pointed out Cheteshwar Pujara will be under more pressure as the team management might drop one opener and ask him to sacrifice his batting position and open the innings.
"I think there is a bit more pressure on Pujara and that is not entirely performance-based. Have seen in previous instances that often an opener gets dropped. They might go in a direction and ask whether Pujara can open in these conditions, but there is no denying that there needs to be some shuffling,” he said.
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Zaheer Khan said that Shreyas Iyer should definitely play the second Test match against New Zealand and either an opener or one among Pujara or Rahane should be dropped.
"Iyer should definitely play, there is absolutely no question about it. They either have to drop an opener or drop either one of Pujara or Rahane," he said.
Team India will now face New Zealand in the second Test match in Mumbai on 3rd December.
(Cricbuzz inputs)
