Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has advocated bringing in Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara in the ODI team as he believes that Pujara is a quality batsman who is better than the options India has tried of late and possibly could be the solution to the Indian team’s search for the number 4 batting slot.
Although, Ganguly did concede that Pujara’s fielding might be a bit weak but he is a very good batsman.
“See, I am going to say something that might not sound believable to many viewers and a lot of people might laugh at my suggestion. But for me, Cheteshwar Pujara should be India’s No.4 in ODIs. His fielding might be a bit weak but he is a very good batsman. I know people will be shocked by my claim but if you want a quality batsman who is better than the options India has tried of late, I think Pujara is the best choice,” Ganguly told India TV.
The former captain believes the Test number 3 has the capability to perform the role that Rahul Dravid used to do for India in ODIs.
“I believe Pujara has the capability to perform the role that Rahul Dravid used to do for India in ODIs. But this would have been my personal decision and I know a lot of people won’t agree with me on this. Sometimes, you need solidity in one-day cricket and Pujara provides you with that in ample measure. Especially, when your top 3 batsmen are so capable and are scoring a mountain of runs,” added Ganguly.