Dropping Cheteshwar Pujara might end up being the biggest regret of Virat Kohli's career

You can see the sparkle in his eyes, which are filled with complete focus. You can see his strong muscular arms that are pining to score runs at will. You can see his giant stride lunging forward when he essays his gorgeous shots. Above all, you can see the hunger and the passion with which he goes about his business.

Yes, I am talking about Virat Kohli.

Ever since he made his international debut, there has been no looking back. Kohli has progressed remarkably well and has shattered several batting records in just over a decade's time.

But there has to be a black spot in every individual's career. And for Kohli, that came at a time when he took over the Test captaincy from the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

It was the final Test of the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Test series, and Kohli made the bold decision of dropping Cheteshwar Pujara. He cited Pujara's inability to increase the scoring rate at No. 3, thereby slowing down the innings, as the reason.

Kohli is that kind of cricketer who likes to keep the momentum going and exert complete dominance over the opposition. Little did he realize that Test cricket is all about assessing the situation, buying time and tiring out the opposition with resilience and above all, patience.

Let us revisit Pujara's journey right from the time he was dropped in 2015. While all other cricketers were playing the million dollar Indian Premier League, Pujara went to England and played for Yorkshire. He had a decent run and got back into good shape. He was keen on making a strong return into the Indian team.

The opportunity arrived sooner than most would have expected. Due to Murali Vijay's injury, Pujara was picked for the Sri Lanka tour in mid-2015. He seized the opportunity by scoring an incredible 145 and eventually carrying his bat. He was instrumental in India winning the Test series against the island nation.

But all the hard work that he had put in was only short-lived. He was not picked for the 2016 tour of the West Indies. Kohli was keen on playing five bowlers, and so one batsman had to miss out.

Kohli once again pin-pointed Pujara's low strike rate, and how it would hamper India's plans to up the ante and take the game forward.

Pujara knew that it was only a matter of time for him to get back into the team. Once he got his chance in the 2016-17 home season, he was at his dogged best, and made significant contributions against New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia.

However, he could not carry the same form to the tour of South Africa. He scored a solitary half century and played a part in India winning the final Test of the three match series at Johannesburg.

Pujara was once again shown the door when he was not picked for the first Test at Birmingham. The team management preferred K L Rahul (who had an excellent Indian Premier League 2018) over him.

With Vijay's abysmal form, Pujara finally gained entry into the Team and immediately made a lasting impact by scoring an excellent hundred (132*) at Southampton. Batting with the tail, he played with absolute grit and determination and took India to a safe total.

Though India lost the series 4-1, the world knew that Pujara has arrived.

Skipper Virat Kohli lauds Cheteshwar Pujara after he notched up his century.

There was no reason for Pujara to be dropped for the tour to Australia. His three hundreds Down Under clearly highlight his skill and ability to adapt to the longest format of the game.

It was then that Kohli showered heaps of praise on Pujara by saying, “If he can bat time and hold one end, and all the other batsmen can bat positively around him, we get 350, touching 400, in conditions in Australia, which puts us in a great position to get a result.”

Kohli has definitely understood the value that Pujara brings to the team.

As a matter of fact, ever since Pujara made his comeback into the team in 2015, he has consistently performed well in all of India's overseas victories. His has not been bogged down by the roller coaster ride that he has experienced since 2014; instead, he is relishing the challenges thrown at him and making the best use of his opportunities.

At 30, Pujara is only just getting started. And now it is the responsibility of the skipper and the team management to keep him in a good frame of mind.

The numerous altercations that Virat Kohli has had with different players might portray the negative side of him. However, the one thing that he would certainly regret at the end of his international career is dropping Cheteshwar Pujara - not once,not twice, but thrice.

No amount of reasoning can justify those decisions.