'He has played 100 Tests, he deserves respect' - Harbhajan Singh voices support for star India batter after Test ouster

India lost the World Test Championship final for the second consecutive time. The Rohit Sharma-led side were outplayed by Australia as their batting failed to rise to the occasion. After the debacle, India have been left with more questions than answers.

Ahead of their next assignment, a multi-format series against the West Indies, there were calls from a section of cricket enthusiasts to replace some of the senior players in the Test squad with youngsters.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) followed that route when it announced the Test side for the West Indies tour on Friday, June 23. Experienced players like Cheteshwar Pujara and Umesh Yadav, who failed to make a mark in the WTC final, have lost their places in the Test side.

Former India off-spinner, Harbhajan Singh, came out in support of Pujara, hailing the right-handed batter as the backbone of the team. Harbhajan hoped that Pujara was rested and not dropped.

“Cheteshwar Pujara isn't there, which makes me worried. He has been a big player for India. Hopefully, he's also given a break and not dropped. Pujara is the backbone of this team. If you're dropping him, then the averages of other batters haven't been good either. The benchmarks should be same for all players, no matter how big a player you are,” Harbhajan said on his official YouTube channel.

"If you don't consider Pujara a key player... by that logic, others aren't key players either. There shouldn't be question marks about his career. India won series in Australia and led in England and wherever India played good, he has contributed efficiently. He hasn't performed quite consistently in the past 1-1.5, but then have a look at other batters as well. Almost similar figures. So, to single him out isn't right."

I hope there was communication between selectors and Pujara before this decision: Harbhajan Singh

Cheteshwar Pujara's numbers in Test cricket have dropped significantly over the past couple of years. In the WTC 2021-2023 cycle, the Saurashtra batter finished as India's second-highest run-scorer with 928 runs in 17 matches. However, his average was a dismal 32.

Harbhajan feels that Pujara still has the ability to score runs and deserves respect for his contributions to the team, over the years. The ODI and T20 World Cup winner also hoped that there was a conversation between the selectors and Pujara before the decision to not include him in the side for the Windies tour was finalised.

“He has played 100 Tests, he deserves respect. I hope there was communication between selectors and Pujara before this decision. He still has it in him to perform in Test cricket,” Harbhajan further stated.

New faces like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Mukesh Kumar, have found places in India's Test side.