Cheteshwar Pujara: the underrated test batsman
Among the top Indian batsmen, Cheteshwar Pujara is going to become the 13th player who has played 100 or more Test matches. With the start of the second Test between India and Australia in Delhi on February 17, the 35-year-old will accomplish the feat.
After being dropped from the India Test squad last year, the right-handed batsman piled up over 1000 runs in county cricket in England, leading him back into the team.
In an interview ahead of his landmark, Saurashtra’s star asserted that his commitment to cricket cannot be questioned.
“It’s the love for the game. My passion has become my profession. I never dreamt of doing anything else apart from playing cricket. I don’t need any kind of motivation to do well. And it’s not just about international cricket. If you look at my performances in games at whatever level – club, state, county, country – no one can question my commitment. I hate losing,”
Pujara told ESPNcricinfo.
During County Championship 2022, Cheteshwar Pujara scored 1094 runs (including five hundred) at an average of 109.40 for Sussex. He also played in England’s 50-over white-ball tournament Royal London Cup.
In addition, Pujara credited yoga with helping him improve his concentration.
Great record in Border-Gavaskar Trophy
In numerous intense battles for India, the gutsy batter has taken blows to his body to ensure victory. He top-scored in India’s 4-Test tour of Australia with 521 runs at an average of 74.42 in total. He faced 1258 balls during the series.
Pujara also scored 271 runs during the 2020-21 Down Under tour. In the fourth Test at Gabba, he helped India win by three wickets and script history by scoring 56 off 211 balls.
“Yoga has helped me immensely in the last several years, and I’ve been doing it regularly. That has also helped me improve my concentration. For me, when I’m batting out there in the middle, I try and keep my mind blank, I try and just focus on what I have to do. And to do that you need to also forget what the bowler will do, because in cricket you have to be in the present, you have to look at the ball and let your instinct follow,”
Pujara added
Despite this being Cheteshwar Pujara’s 100th Test match, he has one goal in mind. He wants to deliver for the team and set new targets for himself.
“Yes, it will be my 100th Test match, but you still have a job to do for the team and you focus on that a bit more. It is similar to batting: when you reach the hundred, you start again. Sometimes you want to score a double-hundred. Here it is not like that – you can’t reach 200 Test matches. But you move on to the next target,”
said Pujara.
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