'I am pretty happy that Puj (Pujara) isn't here.'
Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood is pretty happy that he will not have to bowl to India Test veteran Cheteshwar Pujara in the latest chapter of Border-Gavaskar Trophy, beginning in Perth on Friday.
The Indian team has moved on from the likes of Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, both of whom played a major hand in ensuring the visitors' back-to-back win Down Under four years ago.
Pujara was the rock of Indian batting on the previous two tours Down Under. He faced the maximum numbers of balls to wear down Australia's formidable pace attack.
The out-of-favour batter was the leading run-getter in the 2018-19 series with 521 runs off 1258 balls and was once again the backbone of Indian batting three years later when he accumulated 271 runs off 928 balls.
"I am pretty happy that Puj (Pujara) isn't here. He's obviously one that bats time, makes you really earn his wicket every time, has done really well on Australia on all these tours," Hazlewood told reporters ahead of the first Test here.
Despite Pujara's absence, he feels there is enough talent in the Indian squad.
"So there's always young, fresh guys coming into the Indian team. They are so much under pressure to perform in the Indian team with so many nipping at their heels all the time. Whoever they pick in that XI, they are unbelievable players," he said.
Besides Pujara, Rishabh Pant was another player who stood out in the previous series. His unbeaten 89 in the fourth and final Test in Brisbane will go down as one of the greatest knocks by an Indian.
Hazlewood feels it is important to have a flexible approach against explosive batters like Pant.
"Against such batters, you need Plan B and C if things go south. It is important to have different plans. We also have players like Travis Head and Mitch Marsh who can take the game away," said the pacer.
Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the game due to a thumb injury, forcing India to field a new number three.
"Obviously that unsettles the top 6, a little bit of an issue but as I said, the depth in Indian cricket is unmatched, perhaps the team with the best depth in the world. Whoever comes in has earned their stripes and will do well no doubt," he said.
Hazlewood reckons the Indian team will also miss Mohammed Shami, who recently returned to competitive cricket after a long injury lay-off.
Shami, however, could be available for the second half of the five-match series.
"They will miss him (Shami). He has played around 60 Tests. He is a senior bowler. Of course, he is someone all the youngsters look up to but Jasprit Bumrah has taken that role over the years," Hazlewood said.
"Bumrah is also the captain in the first Test, maybe and he is someone who players look up to and is the leader of the attack," he said.
The series has an additional Test compared to the four games on the previous tour. Going forward, five-Test series between India and Australia will be a permanent feature.
"It is a five-Test series, an added factor. It is going to be more gruelling. If you win a series against India in any part of the world, you know you have earned it. So yeah, it is right up there," Hazlewood added.
