"Happy that Cheteshwar Pujara is not around this time": Josh Hazelwood ahead of AUS vs IND first BGT Test

Perth [Australia], November 20 (ANI): Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 between Australia and India, right-arm seamer Josh Hazelwood said that he is glad that right-hand batter Cheteshwar Pujara is not participating in the upcoming five-match series.

Pujara last played a Test match for India in June last year, during the ICC World Test Championship final against Australia in the UK, which India lost. Pujara, along with Ajinkya Rahane was the backbone of Indian middle-order batting from the early 2010s to the early 2020s. Pujara has represented India in 103 Tests, scoring 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60, with 19 centuries and 35 fifties in 176 innings. His best score is 206.

Pujara has also played five ODIs for India. However, since India's historic win over Australia at The Gabba in Brisbane in January 2021, his statistics took a huge nosedive. Since that iconic victory, which also helped India gain an inspirational series win in Australia, Pujara represented India in 22 Tests further, scoring just 1,084 runs at an underwhelming average of 29.29, with just a century and seven fifties to show in 40 innings. Owing to these poor performances, he was dropped from the team.

"I am pretty happy that Cheteshwar Pujara is not around this time. He's someone who spends a lot of time out there, and tires out the bowlers. But the depth in Indian cricket is pretty good and the younger guys have a lot of talent as well," Hazelwood said in the pre-match presser.

The first Test between India and Australia will kickstart from Friday at Perth's Optus Stadium. Both sides, placed at the top two spots of the ICC World Test Championship points tally will be aiming to make their chances for the final stronger. While India seeks to bounce back after a rare, but humiliating home setback against New Zealand, Australia would be aiming to avoid a hat-trick of series losses to India at home.

After the series opener in Perth on November 22, the second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10.

Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18.

The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne's iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series' penultimate stage.

The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.

India's squad for Border-Gavaskar Series: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.

Australia squad for the first Test: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc. (ANI)