Sunil Gavaskar has lashed out at the Indian selectors for making Cheteshwar Pujara a scapegoat for the upcoming Test tour to the West Indies, which will also kickstart India’s campaign in the 2023-2025 World Test Championship.
Pujara averages just over 25 in five Tests in 2023 and has been overlooked for the upcoming tour after a string of poor showings. Since the start of 2020, Pujara averages 29.69 with one hundred, the exact same average as No.4 Virat Kohli in the same period.
Gavaskar, who had lashed out at the Indian team for their tactics and shambolic batting during the recent WTC final loss against Australia by 209 runs, was livid at the selectors for making Pujara the fall guy in what had been a collective failure with the bat.
Speaking on Sports Today he questioned the move and wondered if social media followers played a role in the decision. “Why has he been dropped? Why has he been made the scapegoat for our batting failures? He’s been a loyal servant of Indian cricket, a quiet servant and an able achiever. Because he does not have a million followers on whatever platforms, who would make a noise in case he gets dropped? That is something beyond understanding.
“What is the criteria for dropping him and keeping the others who failed? Nowadays there is no media interaction with the selection committee or the chairman where you could actually ask these questions. Only one man has been singled out while the others failed. To me, the batting failed.”
He also wondered why Sarfaraz Khan had been omitted despite being a consistent performer in the domestic circuit. The youngster averaged 92.66 in the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy and has been averaging 81.78 with eight hundreds and three fifties in 12 Ranji games since the 2021 season. The selectors picked Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad for the team instead. While Jaiswal averages 80.21 in 15 first-class games, Gaikwad’s average is 42.19, and Gavaskar questioned if IPL performances are all that matters for an India red-ball call-up.
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“You do well in the IPL, you get to be picked even for the Test cricket – that seems to be the situation. Even when you look at the team, you have four opening batters for two Test matches? Sarfaraz Khan has had an average of more than 100 in the past three seasons. What does he have to do to get picked in the squad? He might not play in the XI, but you pick him in the 16 and tell him his performances are being recognised. Otherwise, stop playing Ranji Trophy, it’s of no use. Just play the IPL, we’ll take that you are good enough for the red-ball game as well.”
The Indian team have also named Ajinkya Rahane the vice-captain of the team for West Indies, just a game after he made his comeback to the side after 18 months. The former opener stated that it was a “missed opportunity” by the selectors to groom a future captain on a tour that should not be as challenging.
“A missed opportunity to groom a young player, or at least tell a young player that we are thinking of you as a future captain, so he starts thinking not just about his own game. He starts thinking in terms of how everyone can come together and contribute in the field. He can go to the captain, but the fact is that he starts to think as a future leader.”
