Media not on the same page with the team management on my batting style, says Cheteshwar Pujara
After his Ranji Trophy final innings against Bengal sparked controversy surrounding his ability to score fast runs, Indian Test team mainstay Cheteshwar Pujara spoke to The Hindu how he is used to the constant nitpicking on his strike rate.
Scoring 66 runs off 237 balls on a dead pitch, Pujara shared a game-changing partnership with Arpit Vasavada helping Saurashtra to clinch their maiden Ranji title.
"I don't think there is too much talk (on the inside). In media, it is described differently, but the team management has been backing me on this completely. There is no pressure from the captain, coach or anyone else."
Pujara stated that the team management understands the role that he plays in the batting order and that is what matters to him at the end of the day.
"If you look at any Test series where I have scored runs and taken little bit of time, the opposition batsmen, most of them, have consumed same number of balls."
While the majority of the world has moved towards a faster and more exciting brand of cricket, Pujara believes that there is still value for the art of batting time.
"There is nothing wrong with that (youngsters trying to play the shorter format of the game) but they should understand that real cricket is Test cricket and you will be judged only on the performances in the five-day game."
With the stagnation of the cricketing calendar due to the Coronavirus outbreak, Pujara is currently enjoying a deserved break at home with no game time lined up for him in the near future.
His next assignment for the country is against Australia in October 2020, which he looks fired up for. Pujara believes that although Steve Smith and David Warner are the main threats to the visiting side, if India play the way they did last time around, they can still beat them.