Veteran India batter Cheteshwar Pujara expects talented India batters Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel to make way for Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill in India’s playing XI for the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 as well. He also wants veteran India batter KL Rahul to bat at No. 3, with Rohit taking his position at the top of the order as well.
While speaking on the Star Sports show ‘Follow the Blues’, Pujara said, “In the batting lineup, I feel Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel will unfortunately miss out in the next Test match. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill will come in their places. If we talk about the batting order, I feel KL Rahul should bat in the top three. Rohit will obviously open once he comes. However, it will be great for the Indian team if KL Rahul bats at No. 3 because he looked extremely comfortable against the new ball in the first Test and was batting very well.”
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Meanwhile, Cheteshwar Pujara also opined that Shubman Gill should bat at No. 5, with Rishabh Pant moving to No. 6 as well.
“When Shubman Gill comes into the team, if he bats at No. 5, the ball will be slightly old when his batting comes, and he can play his natural game. He plays a few attacking shots. So it will become slightly easier for him, and because of that, Rishabh Pant can come at No. 6, and batting there will become slightly easier for him as well,” he said.
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“Our bowling was excellent in the first Test match. So there is no change required in bowling. Washington Sundar also picked up two wickets and the way Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy bowled, no change is needed there, and Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are bowling well in any case,” Cheteshwar Pujara concluded.
Cheteshwar Pujara’s preferred India XI: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
