New Delhi, India

Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024/25 edition, which gets underway in Perth on Nov 22 (Friday), Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood expressed his relief over Cheteshwar Pujara's absence in the India squad. Pujara last played for India during the WTC 2023 final at The Oval, London. Since then, he has been out of the India Test lineup due to his ordinary run. Pujara, however, was a beast in Australia during India's last two visits, hence, is absence has pleased Hazlewood. 

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Prior to the BGT 2024/25 opener, Hazlewood said at a press conference, "I am happy that Cheteshwar Pujara is not here. He is obviously someone who bats time and spends a lot of time at the crease and makes you earn his wicket every time. Has done really well in Australia on previous tours. I mean there are always first-class young players coming into the team. There is so much pressure to perform in the Indian team. With so many guys nipping at the hills all the time, so overall the playing XI is a mix of unbelievable players. So it does not really matter, they are all big players."

Also read: BGT 2024/25: 'Don’t want someone like him..,' Manjrekar against Rahul taking opening slot for Perth Test

Pujara has an exceptional record in Australia. The right-hander, a veteran of 103 Tests, has scored 993 runs in 11 games against the Aussies, in Australia, at an average of 47.28. During India's maiden Test series triumph in Australia, in 2018/19, he ended with 521 runs at an average of 74.42 to be adjudged the Player of the Series. Even in the 2020/21 series win for India Down Under, he played an integral part with 273 runs, along with three fifties. Overall, he has five half-centuries and three centuries in Australia. 

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This time around, Shubman Gill is expected to do well for India at the No. 3 spot. He has succeeded Pujara at the slot since the veteran's ouster and done a good job so far. It will be interesting to see if he can replicate Pujara's feat Down Under. Ahead of the Perth Test, Gill is running against time to be fit following a thumb injury in the run-up to the BGT 2024/25 edition.