Left out of the Test squad in the aftermath of loss in South Africa, Cheteshwar Pujara looks set to make his comeback for the Edgbaston Test.
Veteran India batter Cheteshwar Pujara is all set to make a return to the Test squad in time for the rescheduled fifth Test of the series against England in Edgbaston, starting July 1.
Reports are that Pujara, who was axed from the Test team following a disappointing run of scores in India’s 2-1 loss in South Africa earlier this year, will be back for the much-anticipated fixture in the UK, a critical part of India’s campaign in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC).
Left out of the two-match Test series at home versus Sri Lanka in March, the India great has been a player rejuvenated upon his return to first-class cricket and has enjoyed a tremendous run in his latest county stint with Sussex.
Playing in Division 2, Cheteshwar Pujara stands at the top of the run-chart for his club, collecting a whopping 720 runs from just five matches with an average of 120. His tally features four hundreds, three of those in successive games, while converting two beyond the 200-mark.
Cheteshwar Pujara set for India comeback in England – report
A report in Cricbuzz mentioned, that Cheteshwar Pujara is being considered as an incumbent for the crucial standalone Test match in Birmingham. With India 2-1 up, a win or a draw away from clinching their first Test series in England since 2007, and some important WTC points up for grabs as well, the selectors could well bring back their tried and tested No.3 player.
“Pujara, who is in a roaring form in the county circuit for Sussex) among others, will be selected for the England tour,” reported Cricbuzz, stating that the veteran batter will fly for UK on June 16 along with other senior Test players, who are set to be given a break in June from the T20Is against South Africa and in Ireland.
This bunch will include captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, apart from Pujara.
Unlike Cheteshwar Pujara, however, fellow middle-order batter Ajinkya Rahane looks set to continue his absence from the Test team through to the short England trip after suffering a “Grade III hamstring injury”. Rahane, too, had been left out of Test team after the tour of South Africa and missed the series against Sri Lanka.
