Cheteshwar Pujara Test Innings in 2021 | Virat Kohli Test Innings in 2021 | Kohli-Pujara's poor form continues

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Pujara's runs in 2021: 50, 77, 25, 56, 73, 15, 21, 7, 0, DNB, 17, 8, 15, 4, 12*, 9, 45, 1, 91, 4, 61, 26, 22, 0, 47, 0, 16.

Kohli's performances in 2021: 11,72, 0, 62, 27, DNB, 0, 44, 13, 0, DNB, 42, 20, 7, 55, 50, 44, 0, 36, 35, 18.

New Delhi, December 29: India's batting mainstays in Test Cricket Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara continued to struggle with the bat as the duo failed to leave a mark in their final innings of 2021.

On day four of the opening Test match against South Africa at Centurion on Wednesday (December 29), both the senior-pros were dismissed in a rather ordinary fashion and against the run of play.

While Kohli was dismissed for 18 in the second innings on the very first ball of the post-lunch session of the Boxing Day Test, Pujara too failed to leave a mark with the bat in his final innings of the year 2021 and scored just 12. The right-handed Saurashtra batsman was caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock as he tried to flick it.

Both Kohli and Pujara had been going through a lean patch with the bat which has been a matter of concern for Team India for that's rendered the much-vaunted middle-order rather toothless.

Having elected to bat first, India had a sound start on the opening day of the first Test against South Africa, courtesy of KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal's century opening stand. After the dismissal of Mayank Agarwal, the visitors lost Pujara on the very next delivery. Pujara was dismissed for a golden duck in the first innings which was a soft dismissal.

Kohli, on the other hand, was looking in good touch in the first innings as the talismanic right-handed batsman was timing the ball brilliantly. However, Kohli once again showed his weakness to the away-going delivery and was caught behind. In the second innings too, the bowler exploited Kohli's weakness in the corridor of uncertainty. The right-handed batsman was dismissed while trying to drive and was caught behind by the wicketkeeper.

Pujara's struggle continues

Pujara's struggle with the bat is becoming a matter of concern for India as the right-handed batsman has scored just six fifty-plus scores in the year 2021. He failed to notch up a single ton this year. His last fifty-plus score (61) came against England at the Oval and since then he has scores of 26, 22, 0, 47, 0 and 16.

Pujara's runs in 2021: 50, 77, 25, 56, 73, 15, 21, 7, 0, DNB, 17, 8, 15, 4, 12*, 9, 45, 1, 91, 4, 61, 26, 22, 0, 47, 0, 16.

In the year 2021, Pujara has played 14 Tests (26 innings) and scored 702 runs, and averages 28.08. He has also been dismissed for a duck on three occasions this year.

Kohli continues to disappoint; wait for 71st ton continues

Kohli slammed his last Test century against Bangladesh on November 22, 2019 in Indore. Kohli slammed a match-winning 136 in that game. Since then, the India captain's bat has been silent and he's been stuck at 70 international tons.

Kohli's struggle with the corridor of uncertainty has emerged as his biggest foe and he has been paying the price of going for the ball for quite some time. Kohli - whose drought for a Test century is more than two years - and he now averages a paltry 28.21 in the last 11 Tests. In the year 2021, Kohli has batted in 19 innings and scored 536 runs and scored just four fifties during this period. The India captain was also dismissed for a duck on four occasions.

Kohli's performances in 2021: 11,72, 0, 62, 27, DNB, 0, 44, 13, 0, DNB, 42, 20, 7, 55, 50, 44, 0, 36, 35, 18.