IND vs SA 2nd Test: Pujara & Rahane fail yet again, time to look beyond the veteran pair?

'They are just one good knock away from finding their mojo back'

'Once they get going, there will be no stopping the two'

Such have been the comments by captain and coaches when asked about Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane's poor form but the string of poor performances for the veteran pair seems never-ending.

The duo once again failed to justify their selection for the 2nd Test in Johannesburg. While Pujara was dismissed for 3, Rahane was removed for a golden duck in the 1st innings by South Africa's young fast bowler Duanne Olivier. Their poor form has put a lot of pressure on India's middle order and team management's decision to stick with the duo has raised many eyebrows.

Add Virat Kohli in the mix and the entire middle order becomes a flop show. Once the 3 pillars of the Indian batting line-up, the trio has scored just 2,271 runs at a below-par average of 25 in Test cricket since December 2019. That includes just 1 century by Rahane and 12 ducks combined.

With youngsters like Shreyas Iyer in good form, Pujara and Rahane are certainly living on borrowed time and the selectors along with team management might take the hard call for the final Test in South Africa.

Also read: IND vs SA 2nd Test: Virat Kohli misses out, KL Rahul leads Team India in Johannesburg