Ashish Nehra stood up for the out-of-form Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, saying that they will find their mojo soon.
India is currently leading South Africa 1-0 in the Test series they are playing. However, their team looks far from perfect. Players like Rahane and Pujara are yet to start clicking, with their form looking very patchy.
The second Test at Johannesburg saw Rahane get out for a golden duck, while Pujara scored a paltry three runs in 33 balls. They were also both dismissed by the same bowlers.
Despite the bad situation, retired cricketer Nehra stood up for Rahane and Pujara, and said that there is a case of double standard with Indian fans.
“Even Virat Kohli has similar numbers, but people are not questioning his place in the team,” he said, as quoted by Crictracker.
“Obviously, he is the captain and what Kohli has done is on a completely different level from the two batters we are talking about. It is not fair to compare, but Rahane and Pujara have also been second to none at their peak, especially the latter.”
Stick, don’t twist
“If you have backed a player like Rahane for the 1st Test, it would be better to carry on with him for the rest of the series,” the former fast bowler continued.
“Obviously, Rahane was the one who was out when Kohli came back for the second Test against New Zealand, though he led the team in the first.
“Agreed, both Pujara and Rahane have been in big trouble of late. But changing players in the middle of an important series is a big decision,” he concluded.
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