"Hope it's a rest given to him rather than getting him dropped" - Harbhajan Singh on Cheteshwar Pujara's exclusion from India tour of West Indies

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh said that Cheteshwar Pujara deserves respect after the latter’s omission from India’s Test squad for the upcoming Test series against the West Indies.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named a 16-member squad under Rohit Sharma for the two-match Test series in the Caribbean. It is scheduled between July 12 and 25.

Pujara was absent from the squad. He scored 14 and 27 in India’s overwhelming 209-run defeat to Australia in the World Test Championship final earlier this month. He couldn’t make any significant contribution with the bat despite his familiarity with the English conditions during his county stint with Sussex.

Speaking about Pujara’s exclusion on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan Singh stated that he hopes that it is only a break for the Saurashtra player. He said:

"I hope it is a rest given to him rather than getting him dropped. A player who has played 100 Test matches should get the respect he deserves. I hope the selectors have talked to him and discussed the further roadmap with him."

Harbhajan further pointed out that other senior Indian batters' performances weren't that great in comparison to Pujara's in the last two years. The former Indian spinner asked the selectors for equal treatment while taking tough calls.

He added:

"Cheteshwar Pujara is the backbone of this team, and if you are dropping him then the figures of other batters in the last two years aren’t that strong enough. These tough calls should be same for everyone, no matter how big player he is. If you don’t consider Cheteshwar Pujara a big player then for me, other players are not that great."

Ajinkya Rahane, meanwhile, has been named the vice-captain for the Test series.

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Harbhajan Singh on Team India's ODI squad against West Indies

The BCCI also announced a 17-member squad for the three-match ODI series against the West Indies. The series will shortly follow after the completion of the Test series.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya was named Rohit Sharma's deputy. Top-order batter Ruturaj Gaikwad and fast bowler Mukesh Kumar were the new additions to the squad, which played against Australia in March.

Harbhajan opined that India should have fielded a squad boasting of youngsters, particularly the ones who starred in IPL 2023, under Hardik Pandya's captaincy. The 42-year-old said:

"I felt that the One-Day team should have gone only under Hardik Pandya’s narrative with a new team. The youngsters, who performed well in the IPL, should have got a chance here. This was the best chance to groom them. Maybe, they are playing this (selected) team considering the World Cup."

India's Test squad is expected to arrive in the Caribbean on July 1. The first Test will commence on July 12 at Windsor Park in Dominica.