India is all set to play high-profile Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia which will be starting from November 22. It is a series that can very well dictate the course of India’s WTC Final hopes, and with concerns are still looming over India’s recent batting collapses the series becomes even more crucial. For, just ahead of the new dawn for Indian cricket, it seems the country is all set to play the series without two big guns Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, who have been the supreme players of Test cricket. Both have been integral part of India’s success during the past decade. What’s important to think is that will their absence in this crucial series make any difference as the team changes?
The Legacy Of Rahane And Pujara In Test Cricket
Ajinkya Rahane is India’s go-to man in trying overseas conditions. His leadership in the Test series 2020-21, which India won against Australia, that too in Virat Kohli’s absence is a remarkable achievement. Rahane has developed a sound technique against the fast bowlers, and in conditions that are particularly trying, he has become one of India’s most trusted middle-order batter.
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Cheteshwar Pujara seems to be the anchor when batting for India, on many occasions he has just been the glue in the Indian middle order. The fact that Pujara uses his gritty, unyielding style of batting while wearing down opposition bowlers has been a hallmark when India has won its more important Test series, beginning with the 2018 series in Australia and when India won against the West Indies in 2019.
Pujara And Rahane’s Impressive Stats
Ajinkya Rahane
He has been very consistent in Tests, particularly abroad. His ability to deliver under pressure in tough conditions, as seen in the 2020-21 series in Australia, speaks for his caliber as a Test batter.
Matches Played: 85
Total Runs Scored: 5077
Total Centuries: 12
Half-Centuries: 26
Against Australia, Rahane has played 18 matches and scored 1225 this includes 2 centuries 6 half-centuries.
Cheteshwar Pujara
Pujara has been a sound technician with the ability to grind it out for long periods of time, which has been India’s success in Tests. He has shown tremendous resilience by playing through difficult spells, and often he is the anchor when wickets fall around him.
Matches Played: 103
Total Runs Scored: 7195
Centuries: 19
Half-Centuries: 35
Against Australia, Pujara has played 25 matches and scored 2074 runs this includes in 5 centuries and 11 half-centuries.
Current Scenario: Emergence Of Promising Young Talent
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is just round the corner and India’s Test squad is going under a transition. With young players like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Abhimanyu Easwaran the competition is getting even more tough. But the lack of experience for these players in overseas condition is a huge matter of concern. These players still need to prove themselves but it’s a big risk because India can either flourish or completely drown struggling.
Will India Miss Rahane And Pujara?
While the youngsters coming in is certainly bright side for India, the absence of Rahane and Pujara may leave a gap. While one can’t quite dispute this argument, the fact remains that it forms a significant omission since the testing times may well be there with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy around. Pujara’s grit in grinding the bowling units of the opposition into the dust and the calm, and composed Rahane temperament under duress in foreign conditions do provide an unreplaceable value that the tight Test matches seek particularly in close neck to neck competitions.
The real question, as the series progresses, will be whether these younger players can rise to the occasion and perform with the maturity that Rahane and Pujara showed for the team over all these years.
Team India Squad For Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sarfaraz Khan, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Full Schedule
| Test | Location | Stadium | Date |
| 1st | Perth | Perth Stadium | 22–26 November |
| 2nd | Adelaide | Adelaide Oval | 6–10 December |
| 3rd | Brisbane | The Gabba | 14–18 December |
| 4th | Melbourne | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 26–30 December |
| 5th | Sydney | Sydney Cricket Ground | 3–7 January |
