"There is still a place for a player like Cheteshwar Pujara" - Robin Uthappa on India's squad for BGT 2024-25
Former cricketer Robin Uthappa believes that the Indian team management missed the trick by not picking veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara in the squad for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test series against Australia. He suggested that the visitors don't have anyone who can play the anchor's role in the tough Australian conditions.
Uthappa opined that India must find a way to add Pujara to the Test team or find his successor soon. On his YouTube channel, he said (from 17:34):
"There is still a place for a player like Cheteshwar Pujara. According to me, a place for him will have to be made in this team as soon as possible. It's a need."
It is worth mentioning that Pujara played a pivotal role in India winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy during their last visit to Australia in 2020-21. He notched up three half-centuries and finished with 271 runs from eight innings.
Uthappa pointed out that most batters from India's BGT 2024-25 squad play aggressively. Reckoning that someone like Pujara would have been a valuable addition to the batting lineup for the tour, he added (from 11:35):
"We have mostly aggressive batters from No. 1 to No. 6. We need someone like Cheteshwar Pujara, Rahul Dravid, Kane Williamson and Will Young. We always need someone who can become an anchor and hold one end up and all the other batters can bat around him."
India suffered an unprecedented whitewash in their recently concluded three-match home Test series against New Zealand. They now need to win the five-match Test series in Australia by a 4-0 margin to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC 2023-25) final on their own.
"He is an absolute legend of the game" - Robin Uthappa on Ravichandran Ashwin
In the aforementioned video, Robin Uthappa also stated that Team India will heavily rely on their seasoned off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the BGT 2024-25. He mentioned that Ashwin will play a key role for the visitors alongside pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.
Uthappa added (from 14:08):
"This is just a very temporary form from Ravichandran Ashwin. I think he is an absolute legend of the game and he is as important to India as Nathan Lyon and Anil Kumble for Australia and India, respectively. India's success will depend a lot on Bumrah, Ashwin, Shami, if he will be fit, and one or two other fast bowlers."
The Test series opener between India and Australia is set to be played in Perth from November 22.