Cheteshwar Pujara is going through superb form since the start of the Test season, starting from the four-match series against West Indies to England series. He has amassed 836 runs in 11 Test matches played this year including three back to back centuries that too at the venues which made Test debut.
He has been a standout performer for Indian team this season as he has been a go-to man for the Indian team. From sharing big partnerships in troublesome situations to alone carrying the team, Pujara has put every foot in the right direction, which has helped him to again retain his number 3 position, after being dropped from the team.
He was dropped from the team in the third Test against West Indies but since the start of the home Test season, Pujara’s form has notched another level as the Saurashtra batsman has scored 774 runs in eight Test matches at an average of 59.53 and has been asset for the team, “Both for me personally, and from Team India’s standpoint, the year was just perfect in the way we played each game and executed our plans. My confidence levels are very high at the moment, and I hope to continue in the same vein in the coming year as well. The area that we, as a team, have always strived for is consistency. I would want to remain as consistent as possible and look to score runs each time I go out to bat,” Pujara told TOI about his performance in 2016.
“During the New Zealand Test series, our coach Anil Bhai (Kumble) told me that there was nothing wrong in the way I was batting. He said the area I could improve on was my intent. Anil Bhai said I had all the shots in the book, and all I needed to do was to play my natural game without worrying much about the strike-rate. He gave me the confidence that I had scored runs in domestic cricket and there was no reason why I can’t replicate the success at the international level. He gave me belief and that paid off,” Pujara added in praise of the new head coach of Indian team, Anil Kumble.
“As a cricketer who has played the game at the highest level for years, he knows each and every aspect of the game and his inputs are invaluable. He would give insights into the mindset of a bowler and as a batsman, there is a lot to learn. We are a young team and it is great to have someone like him to guide us,” Pujara added.
Despite playing 43 Test matches in a career spanning over six years, Pujara has just been able to play five ODIs with his first ODI coming after spending three years in international cricket. He made 13 runs in his debut innings against Zimbabwe before being ruled out of ODI squad after scoring a duck in final ODI against Zimbabwe as well. He was again given a chance in the series against Bangladesh in 2014 but again he failed to earn spotlight in this format but he still believes that his time will come and he will again play the other formats as well, “I definitely feel that I am batting well and it’s only a matter of time before I begin to do well in all formats of the game. I am sure my opportunities will come,” Pujara expressed.
Pujara was in the ODI squad for the ODI series against England in 2013 but he warmed the bench during the series before making a comeback in limited overs squad a year later. Pujara has to primarily work on his strike rate before he is considered for ODI squad as it has been something which has been on a lower side.