IND vs AUS: Ravi Shastri slams Pujara for awful shot selection in ICC WTC Final: Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri minced no words as he slammed Cheteshwar Pujara for poor shot selection and getting dismissed in the ongoing ICC WTC Final against Australia at the Oval. Pujara was dismissed, clipping the top of his off stump, by young Cameron Green on Day 2 of the IND vs AUS test.
While Australia commanded on the opening day of the ICC WTC Final with 327 runs in the loss of mere three wickets. Steven Smith and Travis Head scored centuries and pushed team India on the backfoot.
However, Rohit Sharma and his men regained control of the innings without much damage on day 2 of the IND vs AUS test. India conceded 142 runs in the day and scalped seven wickets to wrap Australia’s innings at 469 runs.
Meanwhile, in pursuit of a mammoth total, team India started off with some quick run-scoring. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill looked in the groove, however, the honeymoon period for the Indian boys didn’t last long as Pat Cummins trapped Rohit Sharma briefly after the play started.
Subsequently, much talked about selection, Scott Boland castled the three sticks of young Shubman Gill as the batter tried to leave the delivery, which jacked in.
A little while after Gill departed, veteran Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara also fell into the same trap with his awful shot selection. Pujara offered no shot to Cameron Green’s delivery which clipped the top of his off stump.
IND vs AUS: Pujara’s dismissal is disappointing: Ravi Shastri
While Shubman Gill’s dismissal was justified with him being a young cricketer, who has a lot to learn, Pujara was caught off-guard by the experts, who lambasted him for his woeful shot, giving away his precious wicket.
Ravi Shastri, who was on air, looked frustrated with the dismissal as he said: “That is leaving it poorly because the front foot has just gone across. It should be going towards the ball; he was looking to play it and then decided whether he should leave it.”
The Indian cricket experts mentioned that Pujara’s footwork while leaving the delivery is making him expose his off stump, which enabled the Aussies to scalp his wicket.
You see, the way he is leaving it, the off-stump is exposed. The front foot is still middle stump when it’s actually going towards off stump. Watch that front foot. It should be further across and towards the ball. He thought it was outside the off stump. It was an error in judgment,” Shastri added.
“We talk about leaving the ball in England and we always talk about knowing where your off stump is. This is not knowing where your off stump is.”
The former Indian coach said Gill’s dismissal is understandable, but Pujara, after having played over 100 tests matches, making such errors is disappointing.
“See, Shubman Gill, being a little lazy with his footwork. He will learn; he is still young, but Pujara will be very disappointed seeing that. It should have been a little further towards the ball and across the line of the ball. That’s why they keep telling you – know where your off stump is,” said Shastri.
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