Cricket

'Ek good IPL season aur Test team me he' - Fans raise concerns over team selection following reports of Yashasvi Jaiswal replacing Cheteshwar Pujara in Tests

Cheteshwar Pujara has been rumored to be replaced by Yashaswi Jaiswal in Tests following his poor performances in recent matches.

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Daniel S
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Yashasvi Jaiswal & Cheteshwar Pujara

Yashasvi Jaiswal & Cheteshwar Pujara (Source: Twitter)

Rajasthan Royals (RR) opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal had a dream season in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL), scoring over 600 runs and winning the 'Emerging Player of Season' award. The youngster was the talk of the town during the tournament among former cricketers and pundits, calling for his maiden appearance in the Indian jersey. Things fared well for him, being named as a reserve player for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 final in place of Ruturaj Gaikwad, and he is now rumoured to have secured his berth in the Indian Test side.

After losing to Australia in the Ultimate Test, India will return to international cricket after a month's break with a two-Test series against the West Indies as part of the WTC 2023-25 cycle. There are reports that the Indian Cricket Board is considering making some changes for the Windies series. Indian captain Rohit Sharma's captaincy future may also be decided after the upcoming tour. While Rohit, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Ajinkya Rahane - who made a great comeback in the WTC final - are likely to retain their spots, Cheteshwar Pujara's spot might be in jeopardy.

Considered a Test specialist, Pujara is one of the Indian players to have played 100 Test matches. The right-handed batter has been instrumental in many of India's victories, but his recent performances have raised questions about his place in India's longer format squad. Pujara was once again in trouble after failing to score in both innings in the WTC final 2023 against Australia at the Oval. According to the latest reports, Mumbai cricketer Yashaswi Jaiswal may replace the veteran No.3 batter in India's Test squad.

Pujara has managed just one century in 52 innings since 2020 at a dismal average of 29.69. In the recent one-off Test against Australia, he was dismissed cheaply and received criticism for poor shot selection in both innings. However, there is no official confirmation of his exclusion from the Test team yet. Jaiswal was the highest run scorer for RR in IPL 2023 at an average of 48.08. He also struck six fifty-plus scores, including his fastest IPL half-century in just 13 balls, and his maiden IPL century.

Here's how fans reacted to the reports of Yashasvi Jaiswal replacing Cheteshwar Pujara in Tests: 

Cricket News India Cheteshwar Pujara Yashasvi Jaiswal WTC