India will be playing the second test match against Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy on Friday ( 17th February). India’s star batter Cheteshwar Pujara will be playing the 100th test match at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Pujara has credited Yoga, meditation and Pranayam for this incredible feat, he said doing these practices helped him to stay in the present and shut out the outside noise to focus more on his game.
Pujara mentioned his preparation before the game and Ashwin’s comment on him –
“Ashwin has recently spoken about me being very stubborn. As long as you stick to your methods, as long as you are confident about your ways, you can be successful. You also have to be disciplined.
“I have certain routines, I pay a lot of attention to my fitness. I do yoga, meditation and pranayam which has helped me to stay in the present and shut down the outside noise. It has helped me detach from the noise outside, be it in a newspaper, or on social media, even if it is positive,” said Pujara
Top-order batter Pujara so far has played 99 matches for India, he has scored 7021 runs with an average of 44.15 in his 13-year-long career. He has been a pioneer of Indian batting in the longer format of the game and has stood as a lone warrior under brilliant bowling attacks.
Delhi ☀️? pic.twitter.com/tCaRw40idE
— Cheteshwar Pujara (@cheteshwar1) February 16, 2023
“Patience does not come on its own, you need mental strength for that, preparation is key, I scored runs at junior cricket, age group cricket. It requires hard work over a period of time and I think when you focus on your game, eventually, you will succeed,” added right-hand batter Pujara.
Indian coach Rahul Dravid on Pujara playing his 100th test match in Delhi-
“It is a big achievement for any player. Yes, you need talent but you need a lot of other things. It’s a reflection of your longevity and many other things. Your fitness, your resilience, ability to handle success and failure,” said Dravid
Former Indian batter Rahul Dravid has played 164 test matches for his national side, he is currently in the second position behind great Sachin Tendulkar in representing the Indian team in test matches.
Asian giants have successfully retained the Border Gavaskar Trophy from the last three editions in which two came down under. Australia last won the test series in India in the 2004-05 series under Ricky Ponting’s captaincy tenure. While the Men in Blue have not lost a test match in Delhi since 1987.