Latest news with #CheteshwarPujara
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Dravid, Shastri identified Easwaran as Pujara's Test heir, but...: Father alleges BCCI's IPL bias cost him India cap
Cheteshwar Pujara might have played his last Test match in June 2023, during the World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval. But the Indian team management had seemingly planned his exit two years earlier, with then-coach Ravi Shastri and successor Rahul Dravid reportedly identifying Abhimanyu Easwaran as his Test replacement. Abhimanyu Easwaran was identified to replace Cheteshwar Pujara in 2021 Easwaran backed their vision during the India A tour of South Africa in November 2021, where he was slotted at No. 3 — the same position Pujara held — and scored 103 in the first unofficial Test, followed by 55 in the second. Speaking to Vickey Lalwani on his YouTube channel, Easwaran's father, Ranganathan Parameshwaran Easwaran, revealed that the 'India coaches' had advised his son to bat one down on that tour, preparing him for Pujara's eventual role. Although he didn't name them, Shastri was India's head coach at the time, until he stepped down after the 2021 T20 World Cup, after which Dravid took over. "Abhimanyu was picked up for the India A side. He went to South Africa. With the advice of the Indian coaches at the time, Abhimanyu was asked to play one down, as Cheteshwar Pujara was leaving cricket. So he played at No. 3 and scored 103 against Marco Jansen and five other quality bowlers," the senior Easwaran said. Despite his performances, Easwaran was overlooked for the senior Test squad's tour of South Africa. His father alleged that the lack of an IPL profile had hurt his son's chances of selection. "By the time he came back from South Africa, Bengal lost in the quarterfinals to Karnataka. Karnataka played a pre-quarterfinal against Saurashtra. Bengal were out of the Vijay Hazare Trophy by then. So the talent scouts had nothing recent to show on paper. And this perception—along with the absence of an IPL record in my son's profile—is what I feel became a basic impediment to his India selection," he added. Easwaran did receive two call-ups from the BCCI selectors in 2021, albeit only as a standby — first for the home Test series against England, and then for the WTC final against New Zealand. His first official inclusion came in 2022 for the Test series in Bangladesh. Since then, he has been a regular part of the Test set-up as a back-up top-order batter but is yet to make his debut.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Sunil Gavaskar, Cheteshwar Pujara forget they have to be neutral as rapturous scenes erupt after Siraj's KO blow at Oval
Sunil Gavaskar and Cheteshwar Pujara were all elated in the commentary box after India edged past England in a nail-biting thriller at the Oval to level the five-match series 2-2. Mohammed Siraj rose to the occasion when India's back was against the wall and delivered at the big stage with a brilliant five-wicket haul. The 31-year-old led the Indian pace attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and claimed nine wickets across two innings. Sunil Gavaskar and Cheteshwar Pujara drop all pretence of neutrality after Siraj's knockout blow seals a thrilling win at The Oval. (Screengrab and AP Images) India were four wickets away when the early stumps were called on Day 4 due to rain. The pressure was on the visitors when they returned to the middle on Day 5 to get those four wickets. Rising to the occasion, Mohammed Siraj led from the front, grabbing three of those crucial scalps, including the final wicket of Gus Atkinson with a searing yorker that shattered the off-stump. His fiery spell powered India to a series-levelling 2-2 finish against England. Gavaskar was in the commentary box with Harsha Bhogle and Cheteshwar Pujara when Siraj uprooted Atkinson's off-stump. As Bhogle called the moment on the mic, Gavaskar was on his feet, clapping and applauding, while Pujara was all pumped up as the duo forgot to be neutral after Team India's incredible fightback to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Earlier, after the play on Day 3, Gavsakr gifted Gill a signed cap and shirt as a gesture of respect towards the youngster's performance in the series, where he scored 754 runs in five Tests. "I have got a gift for you in anticipation of you going past (me). At least you got something to aim for in the next series. It is just a little gift. It is a shirt with SG initials, someone made it for me, I am giving this to you, but I don't know if it will fit you. This is a cap which I give to very few people with my signature. All the best," Gavaskar said in a video posted on Sony Sports' Instagram. Siraj runs riot on Day 5 to pin England Meanwhile, England began the final day of the series needing just 35 runs with four wickets in hand to pull off a stunning chase of 374. However, under intense pressure, they crumbled in a gripping morning session as Siraj ripped through the tail, claiming three wickets for just nine runs to finish with 5 for 104. It was a thrilling end to a series that delivered non-stop drama over seven unforgettable weeks.
India Today
01-08-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane left out of Duleep Trophy squad
Veteran Indian cricketers Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have been left out of the West Zone Duleep Trophy squad. The Test specialists have been ignored in the 15-man squad, which features bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur as the and Rahane, two batters who were pillars of the Indian Test team in the 2010s, have not played international red-ball cricket in a while. The decision, announced by the West Zone side on August 1, Friday, could be the final nail in the coffin for their Test is currently commentating on the India vs England Test series, while Ajinkya Rahane is focusing on his YouTube career. The players did play in the Ranji Trophy last season. The Duleep Trophy has returned to its traditional zonal format a year after being contested as a four-team tournament. Notably, the 2024–25 edition of the tournament featured four teams, namely India A, India B, India C, and India year, India A were crowned champions of the tournament after they finished at the top of the points table with two wins from three matches, having 12 points to their name. However, the four-team format was given a thumbs down at the recent BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) Annual General tournament returns to its original format where six teams from as many zones - Central, East, West, North, South, and North East - are taking part in the tournament. This, in turn, provides more opportunities to the players from their respective zones. Hence, the BCCI has decided to bring back the zonal format to give fair opportunities to all the Trophy: West Zone SquadShardul Thakur (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Aarya Desai, Harvik Desai (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Jaymeet Patel, Manan Hingrajia, Saurabh Nawale (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Dharmendra Jadeja, Tushar Deshpande, Arzan Nagwaswalla.- EndsMust Watch
Times
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Times
England vs India third Test live: score, updates from day 2 at Lord's
The full India squad are out on the pitch going through warm-ups (Elizabeth Ammon writes). England have been through theirs and they are back in the changing room having a chat. The five-minute bell which is situated on the balcony of the Bowlers Bar in the Pavilion will be rung today by Cheteshwar Pujara. Joe Root registered his 37th Test hundred on the first ball of day two but had been left stranded on 99 not out overnight and revealed that it had affected his sleep (Elizabeth Ammon writes). 'I don't think I have been 99 not out overnight before,' the former England captain said. 'I woke up in the night and couldn't get back to sleep I went through every shot I could have played to start the day and every possible dismissal. 'Then I realised 'stop making it about you', there's so many more important things to consider throughout the day. The frustrating thing is I managed to get to 100 but that is when you should make it count. So I'm a bit disappointed [with not turning it into a bigger score].' Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. The four players in the England squad who are not in the team were released yesterday from the camp (Elizabeth Ammon writes). Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton and Sam Cook went back to their counties to play in the T20 Blast. Gus Atkinson, however, will play club cricket today in the Surrey Premier League. He will play for his club, Spencer, against Sunbury at Sunbury CC. He is allowed to bowl 10 overs and bat. I will keep you posted on how he goes. The Surrey seamer is recovering from a hamstring injury sustained during the Zimbabwe Test in May but the ECB wanted to keep him away from county cricket and just get some overs in the slightly gentler environment of club cricket. If you are in the Sunbury on Thames area, Sunbury CC is a lovely little ground and they have a really nice bar so pop down there! 'A bowler who can change the mood of a game in an instant.' After an absence from Test cricket of 1,597 days, it took Jofra Archer only three balls to confirm that the optimism behind Ben Stokes's pre-match assessment was not mislaid, when, with Lord's buzzing, he sent one on to Yashasvi Jaiswal's outside edge and into the hands of Harry Brook at second slip (Mike Atherton writes). Who writes your scripts, Jof? Archer had been given a warm reception when he walked out to bat at the end of England's innings, hitting his first ball for four, and expectation was undeniably in the air when he marked out his run from the Pavilion End shortly afterwards, midway through the afternoon. His first ball was on target; his second fizzed past the edge of Jaiswal's bat, and the third, delivered at 89.8mph, moved just enough down the slope to take it, squaring up the young left-hander. Archer set off sprinting towards the grandstand, then, all the frustration of four years of injuries to spine and elbow forgotten in a moment of pure delight, and he stopped only when met by the open arms of Shoaib Bashir, the first team-mate to catch up in celebration. A wicket maiden followed, with the fastest ball of the series — 93.3mph — delivered for good measure, in an opening spell of five overs that clocked 89.8mph on average. It would have been impossible to match that moment of theatre and drama, and Archer's comeback wicket remained the highpoint of a day that also included a 37th hundred and a record 211th catch in Tests for Joe Root — the former brought up from the first ball of the day after a night spent sweating on 99 — and a first five-wicket haul at Lord's for India's champion bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. • Mike Atherton's report: Archer's rapid return and Root's historic catch give England the edge Good morning everyone from a very, very hot Lord's (Elizabeth Ammon writes). It's going to be an absolutely sweltering one today and MCC have over the last couple of days put extra protocols in place to make sure that visitors and staff are able to cope with the heat. There's a limited amount of shade at Lord's, so everyone is having to be very careful. Extra medical teams have been brought in and have been given a extra spaces in the shade at the back of the pavilion where they can treat people who are feeling the effects of the heat. Yesterday, 26,000 bottles of water were bought or given away which is more than they usually shift over the five days of a Test match. Everyone seems to agree that England having runs on the board already puts them in a slightly better position than India, although no one is quite sure what the pitch is likely to do over the next couple of days. It might start to break up, but maybe not much. Jofra Archer's long-awaited return to Test cricket added to the excitement of yesterday's proceedings as the 30-year-old fast bowler took a wicket in his first Test over since the beginning of 2021 and Root said it was a 'genuine joy for Jofra, the team and the spectators' to see him back and bowling with fire and menace (Elizabeth Ammon writes). 'The noise, the pure joy for everyone seeing him back in whites, everyone's genuine excitement to see him playing Test cricket,' Joe Root said yesterday. 'It created a great atmosphere. Bowling at 94mph, getting a wicket first over, that's the kind of player he is He's X-factor and he's going to play a big part with this team going forward. He also really complements the attack we have and they are all going to need to work together on this pitch to get 20 wickets. It's a bit like India turning to Bumrah, he can create something different for you. 'I'm just excited for him. It's been great to see him back in and around the group, and then to come in and take a wicket in your first over, to then get a tap on the shoulder when their best player throughout this series, with nearly 600 runs, comes out to bat, and you're the man that is turned to to try and get him out. I think that's a great compliment, and it must fill him with confidence going into the rest of this game.' Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Speaking yesterday, Joe Root said that the recurring issue of time being lost during the day's play due to the Dukes balls going soft or out of shape could be solved by each team being limited to three challenges to umpire to get it replaced (Elizabeth Ammon writes). Fifteen overs were lost on day two of the third Test for various reasons including the on-field umpires being asked by the fielding side to check the shape of the ball and it has been happening regularly throughout the series leading to frustrations for both players and spectators. 'I personally think that if you want to keep getting the ball changed, then each team gets three challenges every 80 overs, and that's it,' Root said. 'So if you want to get it changed that would be, I think, a nice way of compromising and saying it's not all on the manufacturer. Sometimes these things happen, but you can't just keep asking and wasting time and slowing the game down at the same time. 'I do know that they are hand-made, so you're never going to get two balls exactly the same and I do think that this summer has been a bit of an anomaly for us in this country. We're not used to getting this much sun and this much heat, getting squares as hard and outfields as firm as they are, so whether that plays a part or not in them going soft or out of shape — maybe.' Good morning and welcome to The Times' coverage of day three of the third Test at Lord's. It promises to be an enticing day as India look to reply to England's 387 all out with the series level at 1-1. They start today on 145-3 with dangermen KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant at the crease. All eyes will be on fast bowler Jofra Archer, after an electric return to Test cricket yesterday when he took the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal in a blistering first over back — his first Test over since 2021 — after a torrid time with injuries. Lets get into it.
India Today
11-07-2025
- Sport
- India Today
From Bazball to Blockball: England return to old ways at Lord's
No sixes, no 500-plus totals, no attempts at playing bizarre shots—was this Brendon McCullum's England team, or was it a team from the 1980s that played cricket at Lord's on Thursday, July 10? Known for exceptionally aggressive cricket aimed at bringing people back into the Test stands, England completely shunned their philosophy against India on Day 1 of the 3rd Test match of the toiled hard throughout the day, on a tricky batting wicket at Lord's, finishing with 251 runs for the loss of Test wickets. If we toe the England line, then this was one of the most boring displays with the bat that the side has ever put up. The batting was so defensive that India captain Shubman Gill did not forget to repeatedly taunt the England batting unit about their famed Bazball approach."No more entertaining cricket, laads. Welcome back to boring Test cricket, boys," Gill was heard on the stump mic on Day 1 of the Test match. The difference between England's approach at Lord's and what they had been doing over the last three years was stark. This England side holds the record for most runs scored on the first day of a Test match, 506, which came against Pakistan in 2022, in the early days of on Thursday, July 10, they produced a masterful show of Blockball, perhaps their new brand of Test cricket.| Lord's Test Day 1 Highlights - Scorecard |The tone of mockery only exists because of the hype that England create around their approach to Test cricket. The idea is that entertaining cricket brings back the crowd to a 5-day perhaps learnt the hard way, after toiling for a full 3 years, that no one comes to watch a team that constantly loses matches against tough opponents. In sport, only results matter, and to England's credit, they tried to grind that out of the opposition at Lord's on batting approach on Thursday impressed India cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara. Commentating on the game, Pujara said that England look like a team who finally mean business. The Test stalwart went as far as saying that this England team could become a real contender for the WTC title in the 2025-27 cycle."If you look at this WTC cycle, England have come up with a clear game plan. It's a revamped version of Bazball. And this is the smart version where they understand the situation of a game. When the opposition is bowling well, they are respecting it, they are willing to leave the ball, they are willing to defend the ball, they are willing to build that partnership. It's not always about counterattacking, and they have understood that. And they are doing it really well," Cheteshwar Pujara said on the looks like it'll be a threatening team. This England team looks like they might qualify for the WTC final. It's early days, but this is a different version of Bazball and this is more entertaining from Test cricket's perspective," he added."You can't have just either their way or the highway," concluded Pujara.A quick look at the strike rates of the England batters at Lord's presents how they went against their grain on Root batted 191 balls, at a strike rate of 51.83. Ben Stokes, known for his prolific shots down the park, scored at 38.24. None of the English batters scored over a strike rate of 60 on is in sharp contrast to the top England batters in the Bazball era, who have consistently touched the strike rate of 70, leaving the opposition reeling in several faced the worst of it in 2022 and 2025 in Birmingham and Leeds, where England scored down massive totals in swashbuckling Best Batters in Bazball EraJoe RootRuns: 3,198Strike Rate: 68.62Ben DuckettRuns: 2,511Strike Rate: 88.07Harry BrookRuns: 2,438Strike Rate: 88.84Ollie PopeRuns: 2,383Strike Rate: 74.77Zak CrawleyRuns: 2,005Strike Rate: 74.42So why did England play Blockball at Lord's?Batter Ollie Pope spoke to Sky Sports at the end of the day and gave an insight on why England Unbazballed (Blockballed) on July 10."It was a very slow day but credit to the way India bowled. I don't think the pitch offered loads after lunch, it was pretty placid, so India held their lengths well. I think 251-4 is a good score if we can kick on tomorrow," Pope said after stumps on Day 1."It felt like you had to force the ball through, which in England we are not used to. You usually get rewards for your cuts and clips," he was poetic that England's quiet renunciation of Bazball came at Lord's, the home of cricket, the bastion of tradition. For three years, England charged ahead with bravado and boldness, often ignoring the nuances of Test match rhythm. But on Thursday, it was the old ways, patience, grit, and restraint, that made the game beautiful that return was Joe Root, the man once asked to step aside so a new philosophy could rise. On a day built for statement knocks, Root chose to absorb pressure, not create it. And in doing so, he reminded everyone that old elegance still has a place in new struggled for the better part of the day but somehow made it work. 99*That's stumps - Joe Root ends the day one run shy of his 37th Test century England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 10, 2025Former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik was all praise for Root, who remained unbeaten on 99 on Thursday."I don't think it was his most fluent day, but you don't need to be at your best to get runs. That is what great batters do. You need to grind it out on tough days, make it count, as the bigger purpose is to take your team to a good place. Root has done that," Karthik said on Sky will start Day 2 at 251/4, a score they have not been familiar with on resumption of a Test match for many years. Even if England return to Bazball on Friday, one thing is clear. This team is no longer dogmatic. They are no longer obsessed with proving a rebellious teenagers desperate to shock the world, into seasoned adults who understand what the real currency of elite sport is. England now finally play for the right outcome, the result, not to impress fans with their silly little village way of playing cricket, the so-called Bazball.- EndsYou May Also Like
