IND vs AUS: Gautam Gambhir wanted Cheteshwar Pujara in BGT, Selectors shut him down | Report

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Amid India's dreadful woes in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, a startling revelation has emerged on New Year's Day.

India, who are currently trailing the Test series 1-2, are one the verge of getting eliminated in the race for the World Test Championship Final. Rohit Sharma and his team will be hoping to win the final Test in Sydney, but that won't guarantee a place in the championship clash.

The senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have had a nightmare so far, the more for the former. Sharma has only managed 31 runs in the entire series with an average of 6.20, while Kohli's struggle has continued despite scoring a century in Perth.

Amid the current imbroglio, a report from Indian Express has revealed that India head coach Gautam Gambhir wanted Cheteshwar Pujara in the BGT series, but was not considered by the selectors.

Gambhir, who has been vocal for Pujara in the past, wanted the batter in the squad. Pujara has a magnificent record on Australian soil. With 993 runs in 11 matches on Australian soil, Pujara could have made a telling difference in the series. The 36-year-old has been unfortunately doing commentary in the ongoing series, but his role could have been on the field, as per the report.

Gambhir has also been reported to have given an ultimatum to the players amid their dismal outing in Australia. The way Rohit and Virat have failed to make any mark has heightened the question on their Test future, especially the Indian captain is being tipped to announce his Red ball retirement after the Sydney Test.

Pujara has been a prolific scorer in Australia, but his resilient batting has also paid off for the Indian team. Even Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood was relieved after Pujara was not selected in the Indian squad, as the Rajkot-born was often very difficult to dismiss.

"I am happy that Cheteshwar Pujara is not here. He is someone who bats time and spends a lot of time at the crease and makes you earn his wicket every time. Has done well in Australia on previous tours. I mean there are always first-class young players coming into the team," Hazlewood said ahead of the series.