Zaheer Khan feels there is a bit more pressure on Pujara than Rahane ahead of the second Test against NZ in Mumbai

Cheteshwar Pujara, according to former India pacer Zaheer Khan, is under a little more pressure than Ajinkya Rahane ahead of the second Test against New Zealand in Mumbai.

Both senior hitters have recently struggled for runs, and the case for a change in the Indian middle-backbone order’s grows stronger with each match.

The two had a terrible showing in the first Test, and with skipper Virat Kohli returning to the side, a change could be in the offing.

According to Zaheer Khan, the team management may eliminate one opener to accommodate both Pujara and Rahane in the playing XI.

“The middle-order headache for this Test has come after Iyer’s fantastic debut performance. Iyer made good use of his opportunity. Virat Kohli is sure to come in, so there needs to be space made in the middle-order. he said

“I think there is a bit more pressure on Pujara and that is not entirely performance-based. Have seen in previous instances that often an opener gets dropped. They might go in a direction and ask whether Pujara can open in these conditions, but there is no denying that there needs to be some shuffling.” he added

Following his player-of-the-match performance in Kanpur, Zaheer Khan state that Iyer’s inclusion is a foregone conclusion.

“Iyer should definitely play, there is absolutely no question about it. They either have to drop an opener or drop either one of Pujara or Rahane.” he said

Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer became the 16th Indian player to get a century on debut in the first Test against New Zealand. In his debut Test match, he became the first Indian player to strike a century and a fifty.

When it came to the bowling unit, Zaheer Khan thought India’s combination quite clear. He remarked that the only change in combination could occur if Mumbai’s weather remains cloudy.

Mumbai, India’s financial hub, received severe rain on Wednesday, with more predicted on Thursday. If this trend continues, Zaheer Khan believes India should replace Axar Patel with an extra seamer.

Read more: Cricket News: Faf Du Plessis says “They expect us to play all of the games, which is a worthy goal”

Visit also: Faf du Plessis opened up on his snub from the 2021 World T20 squad

Play Rummy Online with Dafabet

Let’s play and Register now!