"Way Ahead Will Be Difficult": Harbhajan Singh On Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane's Future In India's Test Team

Team India lost the three-match Test series against South Africa last week. Despite taking a 1-0 lead in the series after winning the first Test in Centurion, India lost the next two games in Johannesburg and Cape Town, respectively, and conceded the series to the Proteas. While analysing India's 1-2 series defeat, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh spoke on the form of the Indian batters, especially Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Harbhajan said the veteran batters will find it difficult to get into the playing XI after their showing in South Africa, adding that their performances have opened the door for the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav.

"Rahane and Pujara's form has been the hot topic of debate for a while. Both played 50-run knocks in Johannesburg but expectations from seniors are much higher than this. The way ahead will be difficult for them as they didn't score that many runs," Harbhajan said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.

"The way Rahane and Pujara performed they have actually opened the doors for players like Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer. Both players have been waiting for their opportunities," he added.

Harbhajan, who announced his retirement from all formats of the game in December 2021, was also not impressed with Mayank Agarwal, saying that the opening batter failed to make good use of the opportunities given to him, and might even lose his place to someone like Prithvi Shaw or Shubman Gill for the next series.

"Mayank Agarwal got six innings but he didn't make use of the opportunity, which is a sign that someone like Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill might come in for the next series," the 41-year-old said.

With the conclusion of the Test series, the focus now shifts towards a three-match ODI series, with the first game starting from January 19 at the Boland Park in Paarl.

Meanwhile, India's next Test assignment will come during a two-match home Test series against Sri Lanka in February-March 2021.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team Cheteshwar Pujara Ajinkya Rahane Mayank Agarwal Shreyas Iyer Harbhajan Singh South Africa vs India 2021/22 Cricket