IND vs AUS: Pujara Believes All-Round Duo Deserve to Retain Spots in Indian Bowling Attack For Adelaide Test

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Cheteshwar Pujara has backed young all-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar to retain their spots in the India playing 11 for the second Test against Australia, scheduled to be held next week in Adelaide.

Team India boosted by the return of skipper Rohit Sharma and the potential availability of Shubman Gill, may tinker their team in terms of batting, but Pujara believes the bowling attack should remain unchanged for the pink-ball Test.

Rohit is expected to return as captain for the day-night Adelaide Test, scheduled to begin on December 6 at the Adelaide Oval. The skipper is likely to replace Dhruv Jurel in the team that defeated the hosts in Perth to claim a 1-0 lead in the five-Test series.

In the Perth Test, India preferred the young all-round duo of Sundar and Nitish over the seasoned campaigners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. And Pujara feels the team should remain unchanged with regards to the bowling attack.

Both Reddy and Sundar delivered strong performances in the opening Test, making a case for their continued involvement in the series. Reddy contributed a crucial 41 in the first innings, then followed it up with an aggressive 38* in the second. With the ball, he bowled 7 overs, claiming his maiden Test wicket.

Sundar also played a steady hand, scoring 29 in the second innings, and proved his worth with the ball, taking two key wickets. Pujara felt the duo should retain their places in the team.

"He [Washington] didn't look really good when he started his bowling, but eventually he got a couple of wickets, he varied his pace, so Washy should be our spinner," Pujara said when speaking to ESPNcricinfo.

"Because he can bat well. The reason he was chosen in this squad is because he can bat. It will be important in the second Test match that, in case we lose a few wickets early, if the lower-middle order needs to contribute, Washington can do that role."

The India pace trio featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Harshit Rana ran rampant on Perth's Test strip. Bumrah was the architect, while Siraj and Rana executed the devised plan flawlessly to script a famous win for India in one of the biggest Test rivalries.

Despite debutant Rana's struggles in the second innings after claiming three-wicket haul in the first, Pujara doesn't want R Ashwin, Jadeja, Prasidh Krishna, or even Akash Deep in place of Rana.

"In Australia, it's very easy to get carried away, and sometimes when you look at the pace of the pitch, it offers a bit more extra bounce... But he was still looking to hit the right spot, good length, try and hit the top of off, and he has that ability," Pujara said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

"This bowling attack has given us success. [Jasprit] Bumrah looked really good. [Mohammed] Siraj was very good. And then it was supported by Harshit. He bowled really well, you have to accept that. He was playing his first game [for India], still he ended up pitching the ball up.

"So I think we should carry on with the same bowling attack. And Nitish also, he had a bit of a bowl. I felt that those four seamers are proper options and along with that, Washington Sundar."