Pujara insisted that not having a Test hundred in three years doesn't perturb him as long as the runs that he was scoring were for winning causes.
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It has been a year of contrasting fortunes for Indian Test batter Cheteshwar Pujara so far. Ahead of the team’s Test series against England in September, the top-order batter had faced a lot of criticism for being too defensive. However, he played exceptionally well against England and as per the batter, it was not a change in technique, but a change in mindset that has helped him enjoy batting again. Pujara insisted that not having a Test hundred in three years doesn’t perturb him as long as the runs that he was scoring were for winning causes.
When asked whether his aggressive approach in England Tests after facing criticism for ‘lack of intent’, helped him, Pujara answered in the affirmative. “Yes, I feel so. When it comes to performing, the mindset was a little different but when it comes to technique I don’t think there was a major change in technique. It was just the approach and I was a little fearless which helps,” he said as quoted by Indian news agency PTI.
He did admit, in a roundabout way, that he was putting too much pressure on himself previously, which has changed since he scored 91 and 61 at Leeds and Oval respectively.
“You don’t need to put too much pressure on yourself and just try and go there and enjoy the game rather than worrying too much about what’s going around. That was the mindset during England series. So far preparation has been good and experiences of playing in Indian conditions will help in the next couple of Tests,” Pujara said.
The batter also said that he was not worried about the fact that he has not scored an international Test century in three years. “As far as my hundred is concerned, when it has to happen it will happen. My job is to bat well for the team and it’s not that I haven’t been getting runs. I have got 80s and 90s. As long as I am batting well and contributing for the team, I am not bothered about my hundred. It’s a matter of one innings,” the top-order batter said.
Pujara also believes that increased responsibility is beneficial, but that does not mean that he will not reach out to juniors without a title. “Added responsibility can work in your favour as you can share experience with youngsters. Even when I am not vice-captain, I try and share my experiences as much as I can and the ultimate focus is about the Indian team,” he added.
Ajinkya Rahane will lead the Indian team in the first Test match against the Kiwis in the absence of Virat Kohli. However, Rahane himself has not been impressive with the bat off late. However, Pujara said that the batter was just one innings away from a big score.
“He is a great player but there are times when a player goes through tough times and that’s part of the game. So there will be ups and downs but he is a confident player, one who works very hard on his game and I am very sure and he is just one innings away from getting a big score. Once he gets a big hundred, he will be back in form. He has been working hard in the nets and I have been seeing the way he has been batting. He is in good touch,” he said.
Pujara is also looking forward to working with new head coach Rahul Dravid. It can be argued that in the current team, Pujara is the one whose batting style is the closest to Dravid’s. “It will help most of the players, especially young players who have worked with Rahul bhai during U-19 and India A days. Even experienced players like us, I have played with Rahul bhai. I have worked with him during A series, so all of us are looking forward to his guidance. The amount of experience he has as a player and coach of the team, helps,” Pujara said.
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