Former Indian player turned renowned commentator Aakash Chopra has revealed where Indian Test mainstay Cheteshwar Pujara is lacking. His comments came as Pujara is currently struggling to score runs, especially against fast bowlers as well.
Cheteshwar Pujara, who had played two match-defining knocks in Sydney and Brisbane and helped Team India won the historic series Down Under, failed to replicate his form after that. Even his form in the 2019-21 World Test Championship cycle was poor too, as he averaged under 30.
In his column for ESPNCricinfo, Aakash Chopra has explained how his lack of foot movement caused his batting failure. Moreover, he holds his bat slightly lower to the base of the handle which restricts the bat-swing and run-scoring options also.
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Aakash Chopra opined: “He (Cheteshwar Pujara) seems to be moving his feet a lot less against pace than before, and that has resulted in fewer strokes. Pujara doesn’t have a high backlift, and he holds the bat near the bottom of the handle, which reduces the bat-swing significantly.”That means his stroke-making needs to start with getting the body into the right position to execute shots. The front foot hasn’t been going down the pitch, and the back foot hasn’t been going inside the box either.”
After his poor show in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, there have been reports that suggested that he might be dropped from the squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against England. Despite his struggles, Aakash Chopra hopes that the Indian team management should stick with him as he has the ability to play the role of a sheet anchor. Notably, the five-match Test series will take place from August 4 as well.
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“Let me make it very clear that I’m not even suggesting entertaining the thought of replacing Pujara for the England series, for India need an anchor in Pujara for the other batters to flourish,” he concluded.
