Pujara Slams Indias Performance After Shock Home Loss to South Africa

Cheteshwar Pujara has indirectly slammed the Indian team's management for the loss against South Africa. This is also the team's fourth loss out of the last six Tests played at home. Pujara, who had been a part of the Test side for a long time, expresses his concern on this matter.

India had a shocking start to the series against South Africa. Despite having the game in their hand for the majority of the innings, the team still ended up being short by 30 runs. India once used to dominate at home, but now has lost four out Tests at home.

Cheteshwar Pujara was a part of the commentary panel, and watched the team lose in the worst way possible. This has disappointed him to a great extent, as he expressed his views and emotions to the same. Pujara even said that the Indian team losing a Test match in India is unacceptable, even in the transition phase.

1. What Did Pujara Say?

After India had lost to South Africa in the first Test, it was being said that the team was going through a transition phase. But this transition being used as an excuse was not a good thing, as per Cheteshwar Pujara. It should be noted that Pujara has been a part of the team for several years, where India used to dominate in home Tests.

The fellow commentators said that the Indian team has lost this Test as it is going through a transition phase. Pujara , “I don't agree with this. Transition ki wajah se Bharatiya team Bharat mein haare, woh digest nahi ho sakta (The Indian team losing in India because of the transition cannot be digested).”

He further continued by saying, "India lost in England and Australia due to the transitional phase, which is still acceptable. But the talent and potential that India has, look at the first-class records of Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar and Shubman Gill. Despite those first-class records, if we lose in India, it means that something is wrong.”

Cheteshwar Pujara said that even India's A team could defeat South Africa at home. And his point of Indian players being familiar with the home pitches was a good one, but he criticised the way pitches were made for the game. This time even the fans noticed that the pitch is a lot different than what it

Pujara said, "India had a better chance to win this Test if the match had been played on a good wicket. How do you define Test cricket? On which wickets will your percentage to win be higher? That percentage drops on such wickets, and the opposition becomes equal to you. So, play on good wickets because even India A can win against South Africa; that is the amount of talent India has.”

This shows Cheteshwar Pujara was clearly disappointed with the team's loss in the first Test. He even stressed that the problem is not with the players, as they have done well in the first class formats. But he also said that there is some other problem, which kept the team away from the game.

2. Pujara at Home

Although Cheteshwar Pujara announced his retirement from the Test format in 2025, he played his last Test in 2023. Moreover, the last Test match which he played in India came back in 2023, in the series against Australia. Playing for the team from 2010 to 2023, he has been India's dominance at the home conditions.

Cheteshwar Pujara at Home Tests:

• Innings: 80
• Not Out: 7
• Runs: 3839
• Average: 52.58
• Strike Rate: 49.39
• 100s: 10
• 50s: 20

Cheteshwar Pujara was a part of the team for more than a decade, playing at home conditions. But in this time, India had lost just 4 games, two in 2012 under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. And under the captaincy of Virat Kohli, India lost just two home Tests from 2014 to 2021, which was also the time for team's domination.

Moreover, his contribution for the home games cannot be underestimated. He held an average above 50 in the 51 Test matches he played for the team at home conditions. While Pujara was in his early phases of the career when India lost to England by 2-1 in 2012, he was never a part of home series loss.

With his last home test coming in 2023, and his retirement in 2025, it seems that an era of home dominance might also have come to an end. Over the last few months, India has lost four out of the last six Tests they have played at home. And this is the same amount of Tests the team lost from 2010 to 2023, with Pujara in the line-up.