"No one in this team is able to do what Cheteshwar Pujara used to do" - Aakash Chopra says India are missing Pujara after loss in IND vs NZ 2nd Test
Aakash Chopra reckons India are missing Cheteshwar Pujara in their batting lineup in Tests. He pointed out that virtually all batters play aggressively, an approach that is unlikely to work always.
India suffered a 113-run defeat in the second Test against New Zealand in Pune on Saturday, October 26. They are 2-0 down in the three-match series, their first home series loss since 2012.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the cricketer-turned-commentator questioned whether India are missing Pujara as every batter in the current lineup bats similarly.
"Are we missing Pujara? It's a big question actually. As a player, you might say that he would score these many runs and others would also score as many runs, so are you missing him that much? Maybe not, because at some stage you have to move beyond everyone. So you left Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane in such a scenario," he said (2:25).
"You got Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant started playing at No. 5. So things changed a lot. Change is the rule of nature but one thing is definitely missing. No one in this team is able to do what Cheteshwar Pujara used to do. Everyone plays the same brand of cricket, that they would attack and play aggressive cricket, and have nothing to do with a draw as they play like this only. That does not work," Chopra added.
India were bundled out for 156 and 245 in their first and second innings, respectively, in Pune. They were bowled out for 46 in the first innings and suffered a collapse in the second essay after being in a good position in the first Test against the Kiwis in Bengaluru.
"You need to keep your head down and defend" - Aakash Chopra on where India are missing Cheteshwar Pujara
![Cheteshwar Pujara is renowned for his gritty batting. [P/C: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/10/3e25c-17300027153513-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that India are missing Cheteshwar Pujara's brand of 'non-glamorous' cricket.
"It will happen repeatedly in Test cricket that you will be asked to play a session where a wicket shouldn't fall. You need to keep your head down and defend. There is a battle of attrition at times. Cheteshwar Pujara's defensive cricket, that brand of cricket which is non-glamorous, hard-working, staying at the wicket from morning to evening, we are missing that brand of cricket, and we are repeatedly seeing the result of that in collapses," he said (3:05).
The former India opener added that the Saurashtra batter helps the team immensely even when he doesn't score big runs.
"You need a guy to stand there to stop collapses even if the scoreboard moves or not. He keeps delaying the game. The bowlers get tired and the ball gets old and soft, and the others score runs. India are of course missing that game style of Pujara," Chopra explained.
Pujara was one of India's star performers in their last two away Test tours of Australia. However, he has not been picked in the visitors' 18-member squad for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.