After India's disappointing defeat in the opening Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park, Centurion, both Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have taken to social media to share videos of their net sessions.
Pujara, who was excluded from the Indian Test team after the WTC final loss to Australia in June, posted a video a day later. In the clip, Pujara is seen honing his batting skills with the caption, "Ranji Trophy prep mode: ????"
Similarly, Rahane, who made his comeback to the Test team in the WTC final but faced setbacks on the West Indies tour in July, posted a video yesterday showcasing his batting skills in the nets on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) with the caption, "No rest days."
Pujara has a notable record in South Africa, playing ten Tests and scoring 535 runs at an average of 28.15 with one century and three fifties. He was the second-highest run-scorer for India in the 2021-23 WTC cycle where he scored 928 runs at an average of 32.00. Virat Kohli was the only player ahead of him with 932 at 32.13.
Rahane, on the other hand, has scored 402 runs in six Tests in South Africa, averaging 36.54, with three half-centuries.
India's batting lineup faced collective failures in both innings of the Centurion Test, being bowled out for 245 and 131. This resulted in an innings and 32 runs defeat within three days, giving South Africa an unassailable 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series.
Looking ahead, India's next Test series is scheduled against England at home, set to commence on January 25 in Hyderabad. The selection for this series will be closely watched to see if Rahane and Pujara, after their net sessions, make the cut for the five-Test series
