Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara gave a stern reply to Ajay Jadeja’s ‘sleeping pill’ remark on Rishabh Pant. Ajay Jadeja poked fun at the decision of sending Axar Patel after the former’s dismissal, by asking if Rishabh Pant had taken a sleeping pill.
Pujara defended the decision and said,
“Of their three strike bowlers, two are left-arm spinners and so to tackle them, it was a very good move. Against the Kookaburra ball, you need someone who can bat sensibly. Axar is a left-hander, and that was an important phase of the game. We didn’t want to lose many wickets in the evening and bat a little responsibly.”
He added,
“So I wasn’t surprised, but it was a crucial move for us – his (Axar’s) contribution, even this morning, the run he made. When you are chasing a 140-145-total, each run becomes important. So the way he batted, his innings proved quite valuable to us.”
The allrounder, Axar, was promoted in the batting order during the chase when India had just lost Cheteshwar Pujara. Axar batted at no 4, an number where Virat Kohli bats. Former Indian cricketers, including Sunil Gavaskar and Ajay Jadeja, expressed shock at the decision.
Jadeja’s question came after India’s victory on Sunday. India accomplished a thrilling 3-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the 2nd Test to sign off from the tour with a 2-0.
At a crucial moment of 74/7, India had a target of 145 in Dhaka. Team India made an impressive recovery with Ravichandran Ashwin (42 runs) and Shreyas Iyer‘s (29 runs) performances. Ahead of the duo’s extraordinary partnership, Axar Patel’s effort was vital in holding one end that prevented a complete collapse of Team India. Axar made 34 off 69.
