5 Players who can replace Cheteshwar Pujara in the Indian Test side

Cheteshwar Pujara forms an invaluable part of India’s Test side. The right-hander has been an asset for the Indian side since his debut as he is considered as the ‘Wall of the Indian Cricket’ after Rahul Dravid. However, Pujara failed to impress in the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship. 

The last 24 months saw the 33-year-old failing to produce any significant knock. In 18 matches of the WTC, the veteran scored 841 runs at an average of 28. Pujara’s strike rate of less than 35 has also been subjected to a lot of criticism. 

In addition, India’s loss to New Zealand in the final of WTC by eight wickets brought Pujara’s failures in limelight. There are many in the cricket fraternity who believes that now it’s time for the stalwart to step down for the younger players to come forward and showcase their talent.

In this article, let’s take a look at five players who can potentially replace Cheteshwar Pujara in the Indian setup:

1. KL Rahul

One of the prominent names in the line to make their Indian Test comeback is KL Rahul. In the recent past, Rahul has proven himself as a dependable batsman by scoring runs for India in almost all the games in the limited-overs format. Thus, the possibilities of Rahul performing well while wealing at number three in the purest format are sky-high. 

What makes KL a more convenient option is his Test stats in England. Playing the purest format of the game on English soil, Rahul boasts of having an average of 30 and a strike rate of 66. Making his debut in December 2014 against Australia, Rahul has featured in 36 Test matches thus far.

In those games, the right-hander has picked as many as 2006 runs at an average of 34.6 and strike rate of 56.5.

2. Hanuma Vihari

Since his debut in the purest format of the game in September 2018 against England, Hanuma Vihari was a permanent member of India’s Test setup. The 27-year-old showcased his class in the longest format as he impressed the cricket fraternity with his valiance and resilience. 

Vihari has featured in 12 Test matches for India thus far scoring 624 runs at an average of 32.8 and strike rate of 42.6. Despite having impressive numbers under his belt, Vihari failed to find a spot in the WTC Test XI. The right-hander played his last Test match for India in January 2021 against Australia but has been out of the team since then due to the lack of any vacant spot.

If Cheteshwar Pujara is sacked from the team, Vihari makes a case for himself to be included in the playing XI. Hanuma also has the same characteristics as Pujara as he can stand like a Wall. 

3. Abhimanyu Easwaran

Abhimanyu Easwaran forms a part of India’s decorated squad for the WTC Final and the five-match Test series against England. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) included the 25-year-old in the squad as a reserve player. Abhimanyu caught the attention of the selectors with his impressive performance in the domestic circuit. 

The 25-year-old has featured in 64 first-class matches scoring a whopping 4401 runs at an average of 43.6 and strike rate of 50.1.  Easwaran produced a breakthrough performance in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy as he scored a massive 861 runs at an average of 95.66.

With such impressive performances, the youngster definitely deserves a place in the playing XI.

4. Priyank Panchal  

Priyank Panchal is a renowned personality in the domestic circuit. Priyank made headlines with his impressive performance in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy. The 31-year-old helped his domestic team Gujarat clinch the title by emerging as the highest run-getter.

The elegant Gujarat batsman scored a whopping 1310 runs in the Ranji session, with 314 being his best individual score. In his domestic career, which kickstarted in 2008, the right-hander has smashed a stunning 6891 runs at an average of 45.6 and a strike rate of 52.7. 

While Priyank is yet to make his debut for India, the 31-year-old definitely deserves a place in the team. 

5. Sheldon Jackson

One name that is in the contention of making an Indian debut for quite some time now is Sheldon Jackson. The 34-year-old can be considered as one of the most successful first-class batters in the domestic circuit. The Saurashtra-born has scored over 800 runs in each of the last two Ranji seasons. 

Sheldon was the wrecker-in-chief for Saurashtra as he helped them finish at the second position in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy edition. This was followed by the team lifting the coveted trophy in the next year. Overall in 76 first-class matches, he has amassed 5634 runs at an average of 49.42. His feat also includes 19 centuries and 25 half-centuries.

With a spot vacant in the Indian team in the form of number three, Jackson will be hoping to grab a spot and prove himself at the highest level.