Cheteshwar Pujara has been a mainstay in the Indian Test setup ever since his debut in 2010. However, his recent form has not been upto his prolific best, and as a result, he has been dropped from the India team for the two Tests against West Indies in July 2023.
Pujara's exclusion has sparked furious debates online, incuding sharp criticism from the likes of Sunil Gavaskar.
Pujara has now posted a video on Twitter, showing himself grinding it out in training, in what can be interpreted as a measured response from the batter on his exclusion.
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Pujara had a forgetful WTC Final against Australia at the Oval. The maestro scored 41 runs across two innings and succumbed to pressure not once, but twice. It was surprising to see Pujara fail on England soil because the cricketer had spent months in England prior to the big clash, playing county cricket.
The 35-year-old would be looking forward to making his way back to the side as he enters the fag end of his career. After the West Indies tour, India play red-ball cricket against South Africa in December 2023. Pujara would eye a sensational return ahead of the five-match Test series against England.
Cheteshwar Pujara’s record in Tests
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Balls | Average | Strike Rate | High Score | Ducks | 50s | 100s |
| 103 | 176 | 7195 | 16217 | 43.60 | 44.36 | 206* | 12 | 35 | 19 |
Pujara has had an illustrious career in red-ball cricket for India. He made his debut against Australia at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Not long did he have to wait to get his first half-century. It came in the very-second innings of his career. He scored an 89-ball 72, as India comfortably chased down 207.
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His first century though, came about two years after his test debut. When India hosted the Kiwis in 2012, Pujara scored a mammoth 159 runs, as India won the match by an innings and 115 runs after New Zealand failed to avoid follow-on. Despite no pressure on the shoulders, this inning was full of grit and perseverance as Pujara announced himself to the world of Test cricket.
