3 domestic cricketers who can replace Cheteshwar Pujara as India's 'wall' after WTC final

Cheteshwar Pujara has proven to be a reliable failsafe for the Indian Test batting lineup over the years, but his shot selection left a lot to be desired in the WTC final against Australia, which India lost by 209 runs.

Pujara got off to starts of 14 and 27 which he failed to convert into substantial contributions that could challenge the Aussies at The Oval in London.

What was disappointing, however, was the manner in which he gifted his wickets, shouldering arms to an incoming delivery in the first innings before upper-cutting a short one to the wicket-keeper in the second.

Given his inconsistency in the format for a while now and a new WTC cycle beckoning with the tour of the West Indies next month, there is every chance that a couple of tough calls are made by the Indian selectors.

Pujara could be in the firing line but given that he has been the rock of this batting lineup since Rahul Dravid's retirement in 2012, finding another "wall" will be no mean task.

On that note, we look at three batting options India can consider as his potential replacement after the WTC final:

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#1 Abhimanyu Easwaran

It is hard to get a hang of how Abhimanyu Easwaran remains an uncapped international cricketer. Having piled up truckloads of runs for Bengal and India A in domestic cricket, one would have thought the opener ought to have played a Test or at least been a regular in the squad by now.

He was called up for the tour of Bangladesh in December last year after skipper Rohit Sharma was ruled out with an injury. But thereafter, he neither made the squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy nor the reserves for the WTC final.

With 26 half-centuries and 22 hundreds in first-class cricket, apart from an average just a shade under 48, his credentials need no reiteration.

Easwaran might be an opener, but the solidity he offers and the ability to grind out a long knock ought to make him a possible replacement for Pujara in the immediate scheme of things.

One would think the time has come to integrate him into the senior setup and initiate the transition.

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#2 Baba Indrajith

Another serially consistent run-scorer in first-class cricket, Tamil Nadu's Baba Indrajith is synonymous with racking up hundreds for fun.

The 28-year-old top-order batter averages 51.85 in first-class cricket and was also part of the Rest of India squad that faced Madhya Pradesh in the Irani Cup in early March.

Year after year, he turns up and delivers for his side, even as Tamil Nadu haven't gone the distance in the Ranji Trophy. He was a surprising exclusion from the India A setup that was summoned to tour Bangladesh but with all that experience under his belt and a decent future, the time is ripe to give him an opportunity.

Much like Pujara, Indrajith is used to batting at number 3. If the selectors are keen to try out other options post the WTC final, he's certainly not a bad option to look at.

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#3 Hanuma Vihari

The man who was possibly considered the heir to Pujara as the next wall in Indian cricket, Hanuma Vihari could well feel that he was unfairly discarded.

The hero of the famous Sydney draw in 2021, he is as rock solid a batter as they come and much like Pujara, is known to grind out long innings than take the attack to the opposition.

Vihari has donned plenty of roles for India, including that of an opener in Melbourne in 2018. He can certainly blunt the new ball and allow the batters at the other end to keep the scoreboard ticking, given his penchant to occupy the crease for long periods of time.

After a decent outing at home against Sri Lanka, he failed to leave a mark in the rescheduled fifth Test against England in Birmingham last year.

Having been sidelined thereafter, you'd think it's time for the selectors to cash in upon his experience of having played Test cricket in the SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) nations as well as the West Indies.

After all, the Caribbean islands are where India are headed next and Vihari's lone Test ton happened to come on those very shores four years ago.

Post the debacle of the WTC final, turning back to him could just smoothen out the transition process.

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Do you think Cheteshwar Pujara should be picked for the tour of West Indies next month? Have your say in the comments section below!

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