Cheteshwar Pujara has been in prime form for Sussex in the English County Championship for the last two seasons.
New Delhi: Former India women’s team captain Anjum Chopra felt Cheteshwar Pujara should be leading the batting group against Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at the Oval that starts on Wednesday. The India vs Australia match starts at 3 PM IST on June 7.
Pujara, who doesn’t play white-ball cricket for India, has been in the United Kingdom for the past two seasons playing for Sussex in the English County Championship. The right-hander mounted 1,094 runs in the previous season and was fourth in the list.
He continued that form in the current year, with few tons to his name and would play a vital role against the mighty Australians. “He is the only who has been in the best of touch going into this competition,” Chopra told Zee in an exclusive interaction.
“He should be leading the batting lineup for the Indian team. Cheteshwar would be feeling that he should be leading this batting lineup. Why not? He has been accustomed, acclimatized, in-form. These are the occasions where he actually wants to rise up and say, ‘look, I will lead the batting order and I will take the team forward,” added Chopra.
There has been a lot of debate as who among Ishan Kishan and KS Bharat should don the gloved behind he stumps. Chopra chose Bharat over Kishan purely on the basis of the former’s Test experience.
“Bharat, probably he has been playing Test match cricket. Out of seniority Bharat can be preferred. Ishan Kishan is yet to play a Teat match for India,” replied Chopra when she was asked to choose between the two.