5 controversial selection-related decisions in cricket

#4 Third opener picked over Pujara in the 2018 Edgbaston Test

Cheteshwar Pujara was surprisingly left out in the first Test against England

India's tour of England 2018 produced a gripping Test series which cricket aficionados were thrilled about. The fan frenzy combined with constant media spotlight was enough to turn the tour into a summer soap opera. The first Test was played at Edgbaston and Cheteshwar Pujara had diligently prepared for his favourite format by playing in English county season prior to the tour apart from spending several hours drilling his game in the nets.

Shockingly, Pujara was left out of the first Test and India fielded an extra opener in his place. Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay and KL Rahul featured at the top three. But none of them could make an impact.

Dhawan had registered two ducks in the practice game and seemed totally unprepared to face the England bowlers. The moving ball troubled him and the southpaw never seemed comfortable at the crease. India lost by just 31 runs while chasing an achievable target of 194 in the final innings. If only Pujara was selected, the result could well have been different.