3 reasons why Cheteshwar Pujara can be an ODI fit

Cheteshwar Pujara has been a mainstay of India's Test team for quite a while now. However, he has been a notable absentee in the limited-overs format, which puts him in the "Test player only" category.

This leads to the question of whether he is a good fit for the ODI setup. Considering him a slow player for the side is a rather vague and unfair statement to make. To call ODIs and T20Is fast-paced is just half the truth.

Previously, Pujara had openly expressed his desire to play in the blue jersey along with the traditional whites. In an interview with TOI, he said it was people's perception that he couldn't play the short format.

"They start assuming things because I haven't played that many games for India in the shorter format. You can't say that I can't," Pujara had said.

While he's busy putting in the hard yards ahead of India's World Test Championship final clash against New Zealand, we take a look at three reasons why Pujara deserves a place in the ODI setup.

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#1 Cheteshwar Pujara can play the anchor role to perfection

As much as the world is in agreement that ODIs and T20Is are a slambang version of the game, it also needs the element of defense to bunt out formidable attacks. That's where Pujara comes in with his experience of playing grueling Test cricket.

He can be the one to play anchor, giving other batsmen the freedom to play attacking cricket.

Holding fort was one of the things Rahul Dravid and Ajinkya Rahane did when they played the shorter format, and the Saurashtra batsman can easily slip into the role.

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#2 Cheteshwar Pujara has all the shots in the book

It is unusual and uncommon to see Cheteshwar Pujara play a reverse-sweep, but that doesn't mean he doesn't play one.

Batting has evolved over time and innovative shots have made their way into the game. However, Pujara's solid technique and his textbook shots are still a great way to yield runs.

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# Cheteshwar Pujara as opener or at No. 4

While this is rather debatable, it makes a solid case for Pujara as an opener. The batting powerplay gives him more room to find the fence easily considering his solid gameplay.

Pujara could be what Dravid was in the 2003 World Cup: The one to drop anchor and hold the fort in case the top order collapses.

This may be a rarity considering the quality of batsmen in India's current setup, but that isn't to say it isn't a possibility.