Why was Pujara dropped in England? Shastri explains

Team India coach Ravi Shastri has revealed why Cheteshwar Pujara was dropped for the Birmingham Test last year, stating that the batsman had issues regarding his batting posture 'that needed to be addressed'.

Pujara was in sublime form in the recently-concluded Australia tour, ending with 521 runs at an average of 74 from five Tests. Last year, however, Pujara was struggling to hit form and was even dropped for the first Test during India's tour of England, before rediscovering his touch in Southampton.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Shastri said that Pujara had encountered a roadblock in mid-2018 and was struggling during his county stint with Yorkshire. During that time, Pujara also developed issues with his posture.

"During that county stint, he hardly got a run. Then, when we saw him at (the nets in) Birmingham, there was a problem, which we told him to address. We gave him a week to address it".

"It would have been very easy for me to play him in that Test match after having told him that problem. But as a coach, I take the responsibility, and I said, rather than play, you work on it and address that problem. He did and the rest is history".

Shastri stressed on the fact that Pujara's problem, that started during his county stint, was not a 'technical issue', but an issue with 'the way he stood at the crease'.

"It was a small thing, which can happen when you have played day in, and day out. I felt it was an issue. As the team management, we felt that was an issue and we needed that to be addressed considering that we still had to play eight Tests overseas".

Explaining why the team management had to take the call of dropping him for one Test to 'get him right' for the next 7-8 Tests that the team played in England and Australia.

"It was a conscious decision to leave him out so he works on that. And I will do that again if I get the results like the way I have".

The 31-year-old Pujara ended the Australia series with a 193 in Sydney, spearheading a historic India win Down Under, their first in 71 years.

Pujara is currently part of the Saurashtra team that is playing Vidarbha in the finals of the Ranji Trophy 2018-19.