New Delhi, India

Veteran India batter Cheteshwar Pujara has backed pacer Harshit Rana to retain his place in the playing XI for the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Brisbane which starts on December 14. The comments come as Pujara answered a question about changes in the playing XI after India's loss in the second BGT Test.

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“I feel only one change might happen. Since the batting wasn't good, Washington Sundar can come in place of R Ashwin. Should someone come in place of Harshit Rana? In my opinion, no. You backed him and he performed well in the first match," said Pujara while talking on Star Sports.

Also Read: Harbhajan Singh backs Rohit Sharma at No. 6, suggests two changes for Brisbane Test

“He is a good bowler. You cannot drop him just because one match went bad. Probably the only change for me would be Sundar for Ashwin if the team feels the batting lineup needs strengthening,” he added.

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Rana, who made his debut in the first BGT Test in Perth, has been impressive but not enough to make a huge impact. In his first Test, Rana took four wickets (three in first innings and one in second) but went wicketless in the second Test played under lights in Adelaide.

India won the first match by 295 runs but lost the second one by 10 wickets and they have looked desperate for a pacer to compliment Jasprit Bumrah, who has been outstanding so far with 12 wickets in two games. 

While Mohammed Siraj has played his part with nine wickets in two games, he largely fits the bill of a third pacer but has been pushed to the frontline pair with Bumrah in Mohammed Shami's absence.

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Shami, meanwhile, has bowled his full quota of four overs in all eight Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) T20 games, further proving that the bowler is almost 100 per cent fit for his much-awaited international return.