With his dogged mindset and calm and patience, Cheteshwar Pujara gets on the nerves of the bowlers in the Test cricket. And the former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar is expecting the same from the Test specialist in the ongoing four-match Test series against Australia.
Team India won the first-ever Test series against Australia at their home in the 2018-19 tour. The main architect of that win was Cheteshwar Pujara. He was the highest scorer in that win, scoring 512 runs and was adjudged with the player of the series honour for his masterclass.
During the episode of the Star Sports show Game Plan, Sunil Gavaskar observed Cheteshwar Pujara will be ready to grind it out in the middle. He added the Indian batting mainstay’s grit and determination will help him overcome the lack of quality cricket behind him.
“Out of 20 days of Test cricket that we have ahead of us, we are really happy to have him bat for 15 days, there is no question about it,” Sunil Gavaskar said on the Star Sports Show GAME PLAN.
Cheteshwar Pujara improved his strokes and range of shots: Sunil Gavaskar
As Cheteshwar Pujara hasn’t played Test cricket for nine months, Gavaskar doesn’t believe the long hiatus would have affected the veteran. He added that Pujara loves to tire the opposition bowlers and has also added some attacking strokes in his repertoire.
“Whether he has played any cricket or not, I don’t think it’s going to make any difference because he is so strong mentally, that he will be… he loves batting, he loves being at the crease, he loves wearing the bowlers down. In the last two years, he has also improved his strokes and range of shots,” Sunil Gavaskar maintained.
Australia is also wary of the threat that Pujara poses. Ahead of the beginning of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2019-20 series, Josh Hazelwood had stated that they will look to get his wicket early because of he tearaway bowlers with his marathon innings.