Cheteshwar Pujara can be deaf to sledging attempts. He makes no eye contact with the person sledging him as he settles in his stance and remains focused, which allows him to play the next ball on its merit.
Cheteshwar Pjara scored 521 runs with as many as three tons in India’s last tour to Australia where his team clinched their maiden test victory by 2-1 in 4 match series. He was the highest scorer averaging a staggering 74.43. In Tests, the focus is the key for test specialists, whereas it also means long periods of international inactivity.
Cheteshwar Pujara Feels Sledging Is Irrelevant And Overrated
Australian team resorted to sledging trying to win the series at all-cost, but it proved in vain as Cheteshwar Pujara was unnerved by the attempts on India’s last tour of Australia in 2018-19.
“Aren’t you bored of batting now?” Nathan Lyon asked Cheteshwar Pujara which was caught on the stump microphone.
But Cheteshwar Pujara feels that he is deaf to attempts to rile him besides believing that one cannot win matches by sledging attempts.
“I think sledging is overrated. It’s irrelevant,” he says. “I don’t think you can win too many battles with sledging. I don’t even know what they are saying when I am in my zone.”
Cheteshwar Pujara says the opposition fielding team’s chatter could strengthen his resolve to keep on batting.
In 2017, while scoring 202 in Ranchi, he was told by the Australians, “now if you don’t get out, we’ll have to ask for wheelchairs.”
In 2018-19, before India’s successful test series, pacer Josh Hazlewood commented that Cheteshwar Pujara’s wicket was more valuable than Virat Kohli’s wicket and it came out true as Cheteshwar Pujara batted out 1135 balls amassing 521 runs to ensure the visitors record their first-ever Test series victory in Australia.
“We’ve got to find a way to outlast him if he bats the way he did last time,” seamer Pat Cummins has said ahead of this four-Test series beginning with the day-night Test in Adelaide on December 17.
India, however, started poorly against a full-strength bowling attack, by being reduced to 41/4 in the first session of the Adelaide Test. Cheteshwar Pujara’s hundred that day laid the foundation of the historic series win as well besides giving India much needed confidence of starting the series on the right note.
“I would definitely like to repeat the performance, but I am not someone who would live on past glory,” he says. “Yes, it was an excellent tour but this will be a fresh start. I will have to be in my zone again. It’s not that because it worked in the past, results will follow. You have to concentrate in every innings.”
“Concentrate” Pujara does. “My routine – meditation, prayers and yoga are part of my life. I don’t do them consciously to improve my game but there is correlation for sure. They help me stay calm and positive,” he says.
His third tour of Australia will also start his second decade in international cricket after he debuted in 2010 against Australia at India.
Cheteshwar Pujara Believes Indian Pace Attack Makes Batting Unit More Confident
It would be 278 days from the Ranji Trophy final in March when he plays 1st test which is the longest he has stayed away from competitive cricket mainly due to coronavirus induced pandemic which resulted in lockdowns besides cancellations and postponements of cricketing series.
“I always had my mind on this tour. I had predicted that we will resume international cricket with Australia.”
His father’s academy ground in the outskirts of Rajkot became test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara’s workplace when his teammates were busy playing in IPL 2020. The academy serves as an ideal training base for him before a series. Father and son admit that net sessions though cannot be a substitute for match practice.
“You will never be able to bring in the same level of competitive intensity. There are no second chances in a match. The psychology and hurt of losing your wicket in a match is very different,” says Arvind Pujara.
“We won the series; I got runs, so there will be extra pressure. But that’s what one has to learn to handle. I think you just have to stick to your strength. If you watch the ball and play to the merit of the ball, you will be successful most of the time,” says Cheteshwar Pujara.
He, however, says India’s fast bowling attack makes the batting unit more confident.
“If we can get 300-350 runs, with the bowling line-up that we have, I am very confident we can bowl teams out. Both, our fast bowlers and spinners are very good. (Ravichandran) Ashwin and (Ravindra) Jadeja are amongst the best too.”
Ravindra Jadeja may miss the first Test due to injury after suffering a concussion in the 1st T20I.
Cheteshwar Pujara believes the biggest advantage of having a quality pace bowling attack is that it forces the opposition to rethink on offering green wickets.
“As long as we play to our potential, we have a very good chance to win the series,” he says.
“Having said that, Australia is a strong team and they will put up a good show. They will be a stronger batting line-up with Smith and (David) Warner back. It will be a good battle. We will have to earn our wins.”
Australia though will welcome Steve Smith who averages above 60 in tests after he missed the last series against India. David Warner, another notable absentee in the last series, is injured and will miss 1st test. The duo was banned for ball tempering allegations in 2018-19 series.