Former India player Ajay Jadeja thinks that Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara’s Test careers are likely over following their axing for the home series against Sri Lanka. Both of them, who have been struggling for quite some time now, has not been picked in the Test squad for the two-match Test series against the Lankans. While announcing the squad, Chief Selector Chetan Sharma has said that they can still make a comeback by playing well in Ranji Trophy.

According to Jadeja, though, that seems quite impossible. Discussing the same, the former captain told Cricbuzz: “Both are single-format players, and when you leave them out of that one format, I don’t see them coming back. I hope I am wrong because these are stalwarts. They have played 80-90 Test matches. There is enough talent that is around. The next generation that has come has pushed them.”

While talking about that, India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik reflected: “It is a hard one. I don’t think in Indian cricket, over a period of time, many people have had the opportunity to say goodbye the way they wanted. It has always been a sad story. That’s how it is going to be. There’s Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara for the moment. It will be somebody else later, and that’s how it’s always going to roll.”

While Ajinkya Rahane scored 136 runs in three Tests at an average of 22.67 during the series in South Africa, Cheteshwar Pujara scored only 124 runs at an average of 20.67 as well.

“It is sad. If it was done a year and a half ago, when India were still at the top and winning, I would have backed that decision. Dropping Rahane and Pujara after losing one series is unfair. Then you are singling out these two, and that’s not the way to build sides,” Ajay Jadeja concluded.