Vihari Concerned About Pujara's Absence in Australia

Hanuma Vihari believes that Cheteshwar Pujara's absence will be a significant challenge for the Indian Test team as they aim for a third consecutive series win in Australia, starting November 22. Pujara, who played a crucial role in India's previous victories by scoring 521 runs in 2018-19 and 271 runs in 2020-21, was known for his ability to wear down the opposition bowlers like Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc. Vihari emphasizes that Pujara's role as a resilient anchor will be hard to replace, pointing out that only Virat Kohli among the current top six batters might fulfill this role. Additionally, Vihari sees KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant playing important roles in the batting lineup. The team’s new approach will need to adapt to the challenging conditions in Australia without Pujara's dependable presence.