On his YouTube channel, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra expressed that the current Indian team lacks the defensive approach that Cheteshwar Pujara offers. This comes after India lost the second Test against New Zealand in Pune by 113 runs, which also meant they lost the series after going down 2-0 with one Test left.

Chopra expressed concern over Pujara’s absence and highlighted how Pujara’s calm and defensive style has often been crucial for India in difficult times. He also noted that the current team does not have the stamina to sit under pressure and put in some tough sessions.

“Are we missing Pujara? Actually, it’s a great question. As a player, you could say that he would score as many runs and others would also score as many runs, so do you miss him that much? Maybe not, because at some point you have to go beyond everyone. So you left Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane in such a scenario,” Chopra said on her YouTube channel.

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Chopra feels that with players like Gill at No. 3 and Pant moving up the batting order, the team dynamic has changed significantly.

Chopra emphasized that while the team has switched to a more aggressive style of play, he is not sure if this is the best strategy for Test cricket. Chopra noted that with players like Shubman Gill at No. 3 and Rishabh Pant moving up the batting order, the team dynamic has changed significantly. He noted that while the change is natural, the current squad lacks a player like Cheteshwar Pujara, who could take a different approach.

“You had Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant started playing at number 5. Then things changed a lot. Change is the rule of nature, but one thing is definitely missing. No one in this team can do what Cheteshwar Pujara used to do. They all play the same type of cricket, they would attack and play aggressive cricket, and they have nothing to do with a draw as they play like that only. That doesn’t work,” Chopra added.

He added that although Pujara’s style of play is often considered slow or boring, he was crucial in helping the team stay together during difficult times. Chopra also emphasized that Pujara’s presence was valuable to the team even when he was not scoring big.

“It will happen repeatedly in Test cricket that you will be asked to play a session in which a wicket should not fall. You have to keep your head down and defend. Sometimes there is a battle of attrition. “Cheteshwar Pujara’s defensive cricket, that kind of cricket that is not glamorous, hard-working, that stays on the wicket from morning till night, we are missing that kind of cricket, and we repeatedly see the result of that in collapses,” he said. Chopra. fixed.

“You need a guy who is there to stop meltdowns, even if the scoreboard moves or not. It keeps delaying the game. The players get tired and the ball gets old and soft, and the others score runs. Of course, India are missing that style of play from Pujara,” he added.

Pujara is currently playing in the Ranji Trophy for Saurashtra, scoring 252 runs in three matches, including a remarkable double century. In his international career for India, he has played 103 matches, amassing 7,195 runs, including 19 centuries and 35 half-centuries. The last time Pujara played a Test for India was in 2023 during the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, after which he was dropped from the team.

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