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Everything in this world comes with a shelf life. Humans as well. Nothing lasts forever, whether it's an opportunity or a place in the Indian cricket team. And it seems like it's that time for Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara. The duo has been shown the exit door and no matter how hard they try, it looks an uphill task to make a comeback to the XI.
Former India great Sunil Gavaskar also believes the same. The man who served Indian cricket for almost one and a half decades knows very well about the permutations and combinations and how they work with the players. He has reckoned that even though the selection committee has said that the doors will be open for these two in the future, it will not be easy for them to get their places back.
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Talking to SportsTak, Sunil Gavaskar opined that although there is a possibility that they make a comeback, it will be tough. With so many young talented players available in the pool, the duo will find it hard to regain the lost faith with time also ticking for them. Gavaskar also revealed that their sacking was expected with the kind of performances they were giving.
"It was expected. If in the three Tests in South Africa, one of them had hit a century or played an innings of 80-90 runs, then it would have been a different matter. Yes, Ajinkya Rahane played an attractive knock. But apart from that, there weren’t enough runs from them when it was expected and when the team needed the runs," Sunil Gavaskar told Sports Tak.
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“They can return, why not? If they display very good form, score 200-250 in every Ranji Trophy match, then a return is definitely possible. But after this Test series, there is just a one-off Test in England and then after that, there is the T20 World Cup, so we will be in November and December (for the subsequent Test).
"So I think time will not be on their side because they will be in their mid-30s. If a chance has been given to youngsters in these two vacant spots -- and if those youngsters take this opportunity by their hands -- then it will be difficult for them (Pujara and Rahane) to return to the team," Gavaskar added.
Notably, Ishant Sharma and Wriddhiman Saha were the other two names who were left out of the Test squad for the Sri Lanka series. While the selectors have said that the doors will be open for Rahane and Pujara, it is certainly curtains for Ishant and Saha.
