Pujara and Rahane: The End of an Era in Indian Cricket?

During the famous 1976 Test match at Old Trafford, Brian Close was struck in the chest by a Wayne Daniel delivery and collapsed to the ground. An anxious Viv Richards approached him.

Close was defiant, but Richards had played at Somerset under his captaincy. He roared, "f*** off," unfazed by the knock and prepared to face more punishment from the West Indies.

Close continues to be the picture of bravery and tenacity when it comes to facing off against fast bowling. In that Test, he had opened the innings and endured blows from Andy Roberts, Daniel, and Michael Holding for over an hour on the third evening.

Almost identical circumstances befell Cheteshwar Pujara on the last day of the Brisbane Test in January 2021. The India No. 3 remained motionless, unflinching.

as Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood—three Australians—landed eleven blows on his body, resulting in a bruised torso and swollen finger.

Pujara demonstrated his ability to endure the discomfort, never faltering in the face of speed. After a disastrous 36 all out in the first Test, India rallied to win the series 2-1 thanks to his stoic demeanor. With 271 runs in four Test matches, he brought back India's most productive batsman.

With 521 runs in seven innings, Pujara led the batting charts when India triumphed in their first series in Australia in 2018–19. Three centuries were scored, the most notable of which was a historic 193 in the Sydney final Test.

After Rahul Dravid retired in 2012, Pujara was the "Wall" of Indian batting for over ten years. It could now be his final World Test Championship (WTC) match at The Oval.

The old guard must give way to new blood in all areas of life. The national selectors made the decision to remove Ajinkya Rahane and Pujara from the South Africa tour on Thursday. So was the total of 188 Tests and 12,272 runs, tossed to the winds in favour of youth's promise.

However, none had recently lived up to their reputation. After ending a two-year century drought in Chittagong with a century, Pujara has only scored 211 in 10 innings since then. His inability to secure a spot in the August roster for the West Indies served as a sign of the selectors' thinking.

The case of Rahane is more fascinating. After a disastrous first Test match in Adelaide in December 2020, he will go down in history as the captain who guided India to a series victory in Australia using net bowlers. He turned things around in Melbourne with a memorable 112 and went on to lead the team brilliantly, never allowing the memories of the early defeats to get to the team.

His career was on the decline, but he gave his career some hope with an attacking 89 in the WTC final against Australia this year. However, a meager 11 in two innings on flat grounds in the West Indies put the icing on his heroic attempt to extend his stay.

In South Africa, the gifted Yashasvi Jaiswal will open with Rohit Sharma, with Shubman Gill batting at number three. Shreyas Iyer, whose tactical awareness against the short-pitched stuff is circumspect, will take Rahane's No. 5 spot.

You will eventually need to play new talents. It happens. Sports don't stick with you forever. Pujara and Rahane had great success for India. Sourav Ganguly stated as much on Friday.

Without a doubt, the young players will face new challenges in a competitive environment on the quick and energetic pitches in Centurion and Cape Town.

While Pujara had a rough time on his first tour there in 2010–11, he had a bigger impact on his second tour in 2013. His 153 at the Wanderers in the second innings

Johannesburg repelled an assault led by Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, and Dale Steyn.

After being passed over for the August West Indies tour, Pujara acknowledged in a podcast that "it's not easy... sometimes you do get frustrated." It can occasionally play with your ego.

In Indian cricket, however, the last word can never be written. Unexpected comebacks are common, and any batting catastrophe in South Africa might present an opportunity for Rahane and Pujara. The new WTC cycle is only a few series old, and next year's matches against Australia and England will be more difficult. Who knows what the seasoned pair has in store.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.