Agarkar flooded with ‘bring back Pujara, Rahane’ plea as internet call out BCCI’s ‘hypocrisy’ after ‘shameful’ NZ loss

India’s prized home streak came to an embarrassing end on Saturday after New Zealand scripted a 113-run win in the second Test match in Pune to win the series, having earlier secured a victory by eight wickets in the rain-marred opener last week in Bengaluru. While it was New Zealand‘s maiden Test series win on Indian soil since their first visit to the country in 1955, for the -led side, it was a first Test series defeat in 12 years, bringing an end to their streak of 18 such wins since 2013.

Chesteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane were not considered for BGT series

Despite conceding a 103-run first innings lead, to which New Zealand consolidated to set a mighty 359-run target, India did instill a sense of belief on Saturday, the third day of the second Test of the three-match series. The spinners scripted a quick downfall in the opening hour, before Yashasvi Jaiswal went all guns blazing with his intent-filled knock of 77 which removed a considerable chunk of the score they needed to win. With the long line-up to follow, which included the likes of Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, India believed they could probably pull off a miracle.

But India’s hopes were crushed half an hour into the second session as Mitchell Santner, who picked a career-best seven-wicket haul in the first innings, picked two quick wickets, while Pant was run out for a duck. The left-arm orthodox spinner then sent India seven down at the stroke of Tea, and later wrapped things around with a second consecutive five-wicket haul in the final hour of the day to help New Zealand record history.

The loss did not go down well with fans on social media, who showed no mercy to head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma as the team registered their third defeat at home this season. Hours after the loss in Pune, fans flooded the internet with requests to chief selector Ajit Agarkar to bring veteran stars Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane back in the Indian team, especially with the side set to tour Australia for a five-match series where the World Test Championship final qualification will be at stake. India will have to win at least three matches on that tour, provided they escape a whitewash against New Zealand next week.

Where is Pujara, Rahane?

Despite the reaction from the fans, India are unlikely to move back to Pujara and Rahane, having made it perfectly clear over the course of the last 12 months or more that they want to move on from the two senior middle-order batters. Pujara last played for India in the WTC final in June 2023 against Australia, while Rahane was part of the West Indies tour that followed in July that year, where he even served as the vice-captain.

Given BCCI’s stance, both weren’t considered for the Australia tour, despite Pujara’s double century in the ongoing Ranji Trophy tournament last week.