Published - | Updated - February 17, 2023 07:38 am
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Cheteshwar Pujara, who has claimed the third spot in Test cricket, is playing in his 100th Test match for India in Delhi. After winning the toss, Australia decided to bat first. India, though, had already taken a 1-0 series lead thanks to their convincing victory in the first Test.
Cheteshwar Pujara was given the number three spot in the batting order by current head coach and former India captain Rahul Dravid. Before Pujara, other productive Indian hitters were Gautam Gambhir, Navjot Sidhu, Virat Kohli, and VVS Laxman, but none of them was as good as Pujara.
The Indian Test specialist has 6355 runs at an average of 45.07 in 148 innings when batting third. He recently defeated Bangladesh while batting at number three and scored his quickest century in just 130 balls.
Pujara’s importance as India’s third batter and how he replaced Rahul Dravid in the batting order were discussed by Ravi Shastri, who has closely monitored Pujara.
Mr. Teshwar Pujara Vijay Shastri kept the third position after Rahul Dravid’s retirement: “His ability to cling on to the No. 3 post for such a long time is his contribution to Indian cricket. When Rahul Dravid left, there were big gaps to fill. The fact that he accepted the position and retained it for more than ten years while passing 100 examinations speaks volumes about his skills, ability, and character. Yes, he took over as the property’s owner when Dravid departed. Before determining what a No. 3 is necessary to do, one must take the situation into account. A different strategy will be used depending on the situation and the illness.
In his subsequent remarks, Ravi Shastri emphasised Pujara’s excellent performance against pace and spin. He is skilled at manipulating time in both home and international contexts. At one time in his career, Pujara dealt with issues that went beyond the off-stump, but he came out the other side stronger and even more driven.
“Due to his extensive domestic cricket experience, he is a great batter against spin bowling. For someone who has taken part in 100 Test matches, it is a proven trait. In the West Indies, England, South Africa, and Australia, he has scored runs. He runs a lot when travelling.
What else do you need? He received a 100 and a 90 in a recent test played in Bangladesh (in December last year in Chattogram). You must keep in mind what the Bangladeshi spinners did to us. He keeps sprinting,” Shastri continued.
Ravi Shastri said that Cheteshwar Pujara is my soldier.
The former head coach of the Indian national team then discussed Pujara’s critical hits during the crucial Sydney Test match that helped India secure a draw. Shastri is more happy of his performance in the second innings, even though he scored 50 and 77 runs. He stated that Pujara has been his soldier and warrior during his stint with the Indian cricket team.