Ravi Shastri verbally attacked Pujara after getting out on the second day; Pulled up for ignoring his off stump

For the second consecutive day in the World Test Championship final, India found themselves defeated by Australia. While the first day saw a poor performance from India’s bowlers, the second day turned out to be a nightmare for the Indian batsmen. The top-order, which included Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli, faltered under pressure, failing to deliver when it mattered most.

India’s worst fears were realized as none of their top four batsmen got past 20 runs. The start to the innings was disappointing, with India reeling at 151/5, trailing Australia by 318 runs with three days remaining.

The Australian bowlers should be given credit for their disciplined performance, but the dismissals of Gill and Pujara were a result of their own poor shot selection. Both the batsmen unnecessarily left such balls which went on the stumps. Gill fell victim to a delivery from Scott Boland that went back in, while Pujara followed suit with an almost identical dismissal. A shoulder to shoulder decision for a delivery that caught its line left Pujara and India distracted.

Pujara’s dismissal was particularly alarming, given his reputation as someone who knew the whereabouts of his off-stump. After experiencing success during his previous tours of England and even scoring brilliantly for Surrey in the County Championship, it was shocking to see Pujara get the line of delivery wrong. Former India coach Ravi Shastri did not hold back in criticizing the experienced No. 3 batsman.

See also: WTC Final – IND Vs AUS: Kohli, Rohit depart early; Rahane, Jadeja handled India’s innings on the second day

Shastri pointed out Pujara’s flawed technique, highlighting his footwork and the position of his front foot. The coach stressed the importance of knowing the off stump and regretted Pujara’s failure to display this awareness, especially given his vast experience in Test cricket. The disappointment was compounded by the fact that Pujara had previously performed well on the same pitch while playing for Surrey.

While Shastri accepted that Gill’s error could be attributed to his relative inexperience, he expressed deep disappointment at Pujara’s inability to gauge his off-stump. The coach stressed the importance of understanding one’s off stump, especially in English conditions.

India’s Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara were bowled while leaving the ball on the second day against Australia. #WTCFinal 2023 at The Oval.

It was nothing but poor technique by batsmen who play a lot of cricket and with technical help… pic.twitter.com/ekKdfk8zoo

– FC MP (@sambayorker) June 8, 2023

As India face an uphill battle to salvage the match, the shortcomings of their top-order batsmen, especially Pujara’s misjudgment, have raised concerns. They will need a marked change and a more shrewd approach from their experienced players if the team hopes to bounce back and challenge Australia’s dominance in the World Test Championship final.

See also: WTC Final – IND Vs AUS: Steve Smith’s 95 runs, Travis Head’s brilliant century gave the Aussies the lead on the first day