Ravi Shastri criticises India’s 100-Test veteran for “not knowing his off-stump,” saying that Shubman Gill “will learn,” but Pujara “will not”

Ravi Shastri stated that while Gill’s error is reasonable, it is quite upsetting to watch Pujara, a veteran of 100 Test matches, not know where his off stump is.

India lost to Australia in the World Test Championship final for the second day in a row. Day 2 belonged to the batsmen, in contrast to Day 1 when India’s bowlers cut a pitiful figure. India’s top order was decimated once more in a crucial ICC final as Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Virat Kohli failed to deliver when it mattered most. Despite some middle-order repair work by Ravindra, India’s top four batsmen failed to score in any of their first four innings, which left them at 151/5 and 318 runs behind Australia with three days remaining.

The fact that Pujara had amassed a tonne of runs on this same ground over the previous two years while representing Surrey in the County Championship was even more depressing to witness. In reality, Pujara was chosen because of his expertise playing for Surrey even last year when India played the fifth Test of the rescheduled 2021 series against England at Edgbaston. He had been let down there as well, and now he was back at The Oval. Shastri stated that while it is fair for Gill to make a mistake at this stage in his development, it is really disappointing to watch Pujara, a veteran of 100 Test matches, not know where his off stump is.