After facing over 200 balls Cheteshwar Pujara should have scored at least 70: Salman Butt
Former Pakistan batter Salman Butt was not impressed with Cheteshwar Pujara’s slow batting on Day 4 of the Lord’s Test against England. Agreeing that the India No. 3 had to be cautious after the team lost early wickets, he opined that Pujara should have shown greater run-scoring intent on a good batting surface.
Coming into the Test with his place in the side being questioned by critics, Pujara scored 45 of 206 balls in the second innings before falling to a snorter from Mark Wood.
Analysing Pujara’s knock on his YouTube channel, Butt said with the kind of experience the batter possesses, he should have scored more runs considering the number of balls he faced.
Butt reckoned:
“After India lost three wickets, their defensive mechanism was on. Obviously, they would have been worried. Had they lost a few more wickets, the game could have been over the same day. But, speaking about Cheteshwar Pujara, he faced more than 200 balls and scored 45 runs. After being so experienced, if you are facing over 200 balls, I think you should be able to score at least 70 runs. The pitch did not offer a lot of movement. England kept things very tight early on. But once that was gone, there should have been better flow of runs. That did not happen."
“Despite batting for so long, if India are unable to add another 35-40 runs… If someone occupies the crease for so much time and doesn’t score runs, that doesn’t make sense. Yes, India needed to be careful for a period of an hour or a little more. But despite being set, the runs didn’t come. Being in the Indian team for so long, Pujara is obviously a highly capable player. But that needs to translate into runs. He should have scored more than 45,” he added.
Pujara needed 35 balls to get off the mark and was greeted by a massive applause from the Lord’s crowd as he completed his first run.
Concluding his observations on Pujara’s batting, Butt pointed out:
“Everyone is saying that India is 30-35 runs short as of now. Pujara could have scored those runs.”
Pujara-Rahane featured in a century stand
After India lost three wickets for 55 and were in danger of being bowled out cheaply, Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane (61) steadied the side by adding exactly 100 runs for the fourth wicket.
Pujara, however, got an unplayable delivery from Wood, which ended his stubborn resistance. Meanwhile, Rahane was caught behind off Moeen Ali’s bowling.
India ended Day 4 on 181 for 6, with a lead of 154 runs. A lot will depend on Rishabh Pant (14 not out) if India are to set England a challenging total.