Jasprit Bumrah will have to squeeze every ounce of energy from his already overworked body while Ajinkya Rahane will hope to get one final chance when India take on England in the 5th Test.
India batting coach Vikram Rathour has backed struggling Ajinkya Rahane to come good in the next match, saying the time has not come yet to worry about his form.
Pujara might have redeemed himself with a knock of 91 which was high on "intent quotient" but the same can't be said about Rahane, whose form is shaky despite a crucial 61 in the second innings at the Lord's.
With the series now levelled at 1-1 after the Leeds defeat, and with the objective to rest their fast bowlers, here are some of the selection questions for India ahead of the Oval tie
Rahane even laughed off the flak they faced on social media by saying that only "important people" are talked about.
The experienced duo of Pujara and Test vice-captain Rahane have not been at their best of late, averaging in the 20s this year.
With Kohli wanting to stick to his template, focussing more on picking 20 wickets, the middle order needs to deliver in what arguably stands India's best chance to win a series in England.
Vice-captain Rahane has looked out of sorts against the red ball, averaging 19.21 from nine Tests this year.
Gavaskar described Rahane and Pujara as "low-profile" cricketers and said that questions must be asked of the support staff if both the players are getting out in a similar fashion.
Asked, who among bowlers is the best bet with the willow and may be fill-up for Hardik Pandya's absence, Rahane named fellow Mumbaikar Thakur
Rahane didn't play India's first-class game against Select County XI because of a "mild swelling around his left upper hamstring."
Virat Kohli and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane were both ruled out of the three-day warm-up match against a County Select XI on Tuesday. The BCCI stated in a release that Kohli felt some stiffness in his back on late Monday evening and he has been advised to rest.
BCCI also revealed the reason behind two Indian players being part of the County XI side during the warm-up game.
India batsman Shreyas Iyer, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, has been included in the list of 45 players announced by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) for its fitness camp. Seniors Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and youngster Arjun Tendulkar are also a part of the list.
Deep Dasgupta feels India Test team vice-captain, Ajinkya Rahane, is not the same player he used to be five-six years ago when he scored tons of runs at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium batting at No. 3.
The former Indian opener and batting coach is optimistic of Ajinkya Rahane putting up a strong show with the bat in the upcoming Test series against England.
In an exclusive conversation with India TV Cricket, former cricketer Vivek Razdan talked about the importance of Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane's style of batting in Test cricket.
While Kohli (13) and Pujara (15) were dismissed by towering Kyle Jamieson, Rahane (15) was shown the exit door by Trent Boult on the final day of the WTC final.
Just when Rahane had started to look threatening, he was dismissed for 49 by Neil Wagner. He didn't commit fully to the pull and ended up playing a short-arm jab, and spooned the catch to Tom Latham at square-leg
Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane resume India's innings at 146 for three with the Indian skipper on a well-composed 44 while his deputy on 29. Can Kohli pull the much-awaited century?
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