Would never drop Pujara from my ODI team: Doshi

New Delhi, July 17 (IANS) Cheteshwar Pujara is recognised as one of the best batsmen in the world in Test cricket but his limited-overs career on the international circuit is quite a different story. While he has played 77 Test matches and averages nearly 50 in the longest format, he played just five ODIs in which he scored a measly 51 runs between August 2013 and June 2014.

Indian spin great Dilip Doshi however believes that Pujara deserves a spot in the ODI team. “I will not drop a guy like Pujara from my ODI team,” said Doshi in a chat with Playwrite Foundation.

“I will ask him to hold one end and keep on batting till the 50th over and I think he is quite capable of it. It hurts me when people call a high-class batsman such Cheteshwar Pujara as too slow,” Doshi added.

Pujara has also never played a T20 match for India. He averages above 50 in his List A career however and in February 2019, scored his first ever T20 century while playing for Saurashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy opener against Railways.

Pujara however has become indispensable in the longest format for India particularly after top scoring for the team in their historic series win over Australia Down Under in the 2018/19 season.

–IANS

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