With the Indian Test team heading for transition soon, Cheteshwar Pujara raised alarm bells and claimed that the two-time World Test Championship (WTC) runner-up will struggle to replace two players. Pujara opened up on his experience of playing domestic cricket and claimed that the Indian cricket system does not have actual replacements for the duo.
While a lot of talk after India's 3-0 series defeat to New Zealand was over the future of skipper Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli, Pujara stated that the country will never find players as good as spin duo Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
Over the last decade, Ashwin and Jadeja have been the pillars of the Indian team, especially in the sub-continent. Not only have the duo been arguably the two best spin bowlers in world cricket, they have also been among the finest all-rounders globally in the longest format of the game and have been consistent performers with the bat.
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"You can't have the quality of Ashwin and Jadeja. I have seen a lot of spinners in the Indian domestic circuit, but I wouldn't say that we have actual replacements for them. Yes, we do have some young talented bowlers whom we need to groom, but those are the legends of the game. I don't think we will ever get someone as good as Ashwin or Jadeja. We might have some replacements, but I still feel those guys have contributed a lot to Indian cricket," said Pujara to ESPNCricinfo.
However, Pujara made a big claim and called for the team to leave out Ashwin and Jadeja from the team for their next assignment after the Australia series. With the team set to travel to England, the 103-Test match veteran stated that it would be better for someone else to be part of the squad.
"After the WTC final, we will be traveling to England. That will be an important series. We are going to play five Test matches over there. Do you see Ashwin and Jadeja fit into that role? Do you want one of them to be part of the playing XI? But, if Washington Sundar is going to play in the XI, then you might as well have someone else be part of the squad," Pujara went on to add.
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