WI vs IND: Why is Cheteshwar Pujara Not Playing India vs West Indies 2nd Test? Check India Playing 11

Interestingly, it is looking very much evident that the Indian team management has gone ahead of senior batsman Cheteshwar Pujara in the longer format of the game having been dropped from the national side for the ongoing two-match Test series in West Indies. India will be high on momentum after having beaten West Indies by an innings and 141 runs in the first Test match and both these teams will now be locking horns in the second Test at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad beginning from 20 July, 2023. India have secured a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series.

WI vs IND: Why is Cheteshwar Pujara Not Playing India vs West Indies 2nd Test?

In a surprising move, Cheteshwar Pujara has been left out of the India Test squad for the WI vs IND 2nd Test. Indian captain Rohit Sharma announced that Shubman Gill would take the vacant No.3 spot, while debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal would open the batting with him, forming a left-hand-right-hand opening combination. Impressively, Jaiswal marked his Test debut with a wonderful century, but Gill struggled to make an impact in his first innings at the No.3 position. This decision indicates a significant shift in the Indian team management’s strategy, as they move forward without Pujara in the longer format. His recent performances in the WTC final and the home series against Australia were below par, and his overall performance since 2020 has seen a decline, with an average of 29.6 and only one century in 103 Tests.

It is worth noting that Pujara did manage to score an impressive century in the Duleep Trophy 2023 game against Central Zone. However, despite this performance, a comeback to the Indian Test team seems unlikely at the moment.

India Playing 11

1. Rohit Sharma (C)
2. Yashasvi Jaiswal
3. Shubman Gill
4. Virat Kohli
5. Ajinkya Rahane
6. Ravindra Jadeja
7. Ishan Kishan (WK)
8. Ravichandran Ashwin
9. Mukesh Kumar
10. Jaydev Unadkat
11. Mohammed Siraj

WI vs IND 2023 Schedule