IND vs NZ | Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane will play important knocks for India in the future, says Vikram Rathour

11/28/2021

Vikram Rathour has backed Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara saying that both of them will play important knocks for the team in future at the end of Day 4 of the ongoing Test between India and New Zealand. Rahane managed scores of 35 and 4 in the Kanpur Test while Pujara has scored 26 and 22.

The two match Test series between India and New Zealand started from November 25 and the first Test fixture between the two sides is on an interesting turn as New Zealand require 284 runs for the win while India needs to pick nine wickets for the victory. Shreyas Iyer has already scripted history in the fixture by becoming the first Indian to score a hundred and following it up with a fifty on his Test debut.

The form of two senior batsmen, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara in Test cricket has been an issue of concern for the team. Rahane has registered scores of 35 and 4 in the Kanpur Test while Pujara managed scores of 26 and 22. Yet, India’s batting coach Vikram Rathour has backed both the senior batsmen saying they will bounce back from the lean phase they are facing and will play important knocks for the team in the future.

“Of course we want our top order to contribute, but the cricketers you mentioned have played 80 and 90 Test matches so they have the experience. Of course to play that many games they must have done well for us. I understand both of them are going through a lean phase but they have played very very important knocks for us in the past, and we are pretty sure they will come back and play more important knocks for our team in the future as well." he said in the post-match presentation, reported ESPNcricinfo.

Rahane has now averaged 24.39 in his last 16 Tests which indicates a huge dip in his form and it's even more concerning as Rahane’s career average has dipped below 40 which is very rare. Looking at the career of Pujara, he is also going through a rough patch and has averaged only 28.61 in 23 Tests since the 2018-19 tour of Australia and also hasn’t scored a century. Reflecting on how many chances these two batsmen should be given Rathour said that there is no fixed number for it and it depends on the situation the team is in.

"I don't think we can put a number to that. That really depends on the situation the team is in, and what the team requires,” he explained.

Virat Kohli will come back for the second Test of the series and will lead the Indian side. With his arrival in the team, it means that someone will have to sit on the sidelines. It will be difficult to drop Shreyas Iyer who has made an impressive Test debut becoming the first Indian to score a hundred and a fifty on the occasion. Iyer also stitched two fifty plus stands with Ravichandran Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha on day 4 which has put India in a strong position. Speaking about the decision over the changes in the team Rathour said that these are difficult decisions to make.

“The captain coming back in will happen in Mumbai, I understand. We will get to that point when we reach Mumbai. At this point we are focused on this game. There is still a day to go, and a game to be won. So we are really focused on this game,” he revealed.

"These are of course difficult decisions to make, but the team's management would rather players outside the XI keep those in under pressure than there not being enough alternatives."

Wriddhiman Saha played a brilliant knock of 61 runs while struggling with stiffness in his neck. Rathour said that Rishabh Pant is still the first wicketkeeper choice for the team and also mentioned that K S Bharat was impressive while keeping the wickets

"Unfortunately for Wriddhi, we have an extremely special player, Rishabh Pant, who is the No. 1 keeper for the team, who has done extremely well for us in the past two years. That's the role Wriddhi has at the moment. He is there whenever we need him. Whenever Pant is not there. Again he showed today with the knock he played today that how important he is and how good he is."

“However, you can't be so sure about even that role for Saha, who is 37 now and didn't complete two of his three overseas tours either through injury or lack of batting capability. Even though he overcame a stiff neck to score a fighting fifty that helped take India to safety in Kanpur, his absence behind the wicket opened the door for a younger contender, KS Bharat, who was impressive with his keeping, taking effecting three extremely difficult dismissals on a pitch with up-and-down bounce.”

“It will not be unreasonable to look at the future now and slot Bharat in as the back-up to Pant. If Saha is fit and ready come Mumbai, that will be another happy headache for the team management,” he concluded.

New Zealand have a target of 284 to win the first Test and they are on 4/1 going into Day 5.