The Indian Test batting line-up has been criticized heavily because of a few mediocre performances from their middle-order, with Kohli, Pujara and Rahane struggling.
Despite being considered as one of the best batting pairs in the middle order in the world in the longest format of the game, Pujara and Rahane have failed to come to grips with the current crisis and have bowed out cheaply on a few occasions in recent days.
However, in the second innings of the Lord’s Test, the duo came together to stitch a painstaking partnership to stabilize India’s ship that was helped to set sail by Bumrah and Shami towards the end.
All the words about Rahane and Pujara’s partnership
With all said and done, a few supporters weren’t particularly happy because of the slow nature of Rahane and Pujara’s game in the middle. The Indian Test vice-captain managed to rack up 61 off 146 balls, while Pujara scored 45 from 206 balls. The supporters were not happy about this slow sand, as they highlighted the fact that these two took fifty overs to simply add 100 runs.
If there was one thing that India needed desperately at that point in time, it was a stable partnership, and this is exactly what the duo performed. Rahane was very humourous when he talked about the ones who criticized him because of the partnership’s behindhand approach.
The Indian vice-captain hit back at his critics by citing, “I’m happy people are talking about Cheteshwar Pujara and I. Not really concerned about all the talks surrounding form. We know how to handle pressure, we are doing just that. We are not thinking about things that we can’t control.”
As India will be colliding with England for the third Test at Headingley, a lot will be on the line, given the fact that the outcome of this match can shape the fortune of the series too.
