IND vs ENG: Should Cheteshwar Pujara be tried as an opener?

India are likely to make some changes against England in the upcoming five-match Test series. Cheteshwar Pujara's future has also been a topic of discussion ahead of the much-anticipated series.

With Shubman Gill injured and reportedly ruled out for the majority of Tests, the team will look for back-up options. While Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul appear to be the frontrunners to replace Gill, there is also a small chance of Pujara being tested as an opener.

The Saurashtra batsman has had a torrid run of late and performed poorly in the WTC final. Pujara's average of 30.33 is a sharp decline compared to the 46.09 it was in 2019.

Adding to this, he has scored just four fifties in 12 innings in 2021. Pujara's last 30 innings have gone by without a century and he has accumulated nine single-digit scores since his last ton.

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Will Cheteshwar Pujara be one of the opening options?

It might not be a bad idea to try Cheteshwar Pujara to walk out with Rohit Sharma and see off the new ball. With scores of 41*, 28, 52, 82*, and 145*, Pujara's six innings as an opener has yielded two 50+ scores and a century.

However, Pujara's promotion as an opener might mean India will have to look for a stable option in the No.3, which he has made his own. There is also a high possibility of Pujara being benched. While he is an asset, he's a failing one at the moment and he hampers India's chances of pushing for a series win against England.

Cheteshwar Pujara might be one of the potential candidates to open the innings.