“Cheteshwar Pujara regretted getting out even after 300” - Dilip Doshi
Former India left-arm spinner Dilip Doshi has attributed Cheteshwar Pujara’s success at an international level to his hunger from his very young days.
Cheteshwar Pujara played the anchor role in India’s 2-1 Test series triumph Down Under, wearing down the Aussie bowling attack with his acclaimed defensive skills.
Speaking to Sportskeeda’s Indranil Basu in an SK Live session on Facebook, Doshi, who has tracked Cheteshwar Pujara’s growth from close quarters, revealed:
“When he got into the Ranji team, he changed his stance. He always regretted getting out even after 300. So, that’s a man hungry for runs. He wants to occupy the crease. I think for a bowler, he is a nightmare. There is a stonewall and he is not going to budge. For a batsman, I think it is important to stay at the crease to revolve the strike. The others can play shots around him. Cheteshwar’s role was outstanding. No praise is high enough for him.”
“Cheteshwar Pujara doesn’t know how good he is” - Dilip Doshi
Doshi, who claimed 114 Test wickets in 33 matches, added that Cheteshwar Pujara would be least concerned about the backlash over his strike rate.
“He is going to keep his eye on the ball, not on the comments of the guy who is not going to come and play for him. It’s easy to be an arm-chair critic.”
He, however, added in the same vein that Cheteshwar Pujara is capable of playing aggressively as well. Pointing out to his batting exploits in Australia in 2018-19, Doshi said:
“Sometimes Cheteshwar doesn’t know how good he is. He is capable of attacking as well, as we saw in the series a couple of years back, when he became the man of the series and outscored even the great Virat Kohli. He’s got it in him to hit over the bowler’s head as well. I would love to see him get that role now and then, so he changes gears whenever necessary.”
In 2020, Pujara scored 271 runs in four Tests in Australia at an average of 33.87 with three fifties and a best of 77. He was India’s second-highest run-getter after Rishabh Pant (274).
Cheteshwar Pujara’s strike rate of 29.20 divided opinion. But, with India winning the series, his approach was justified.