"I decided to let the ball hit my body to save wickets" - Cheteshwar Pujara
India's batting rock Cheteshwar Pujara has said he let the bouncers from the Aussie pacers hit him on the body to preclude a batting collapse in Brisbane. He also talked about Pat Cummins' ability to get the ball to kick off from a good length.
In the course of his 211-ball knock of 56 - his slowest Test fifty - Cheteshwar Pujara was battered almost a dozen times. His ribs, fingers, helmet, and hip, all took a beating. At one point, a delivery from Josh Hazlewood hit Pujara flush on the gloves, leading the batsman to drop the bat immediately and jump in agony.
The Indian No. 3 continued with his innings after receiving some treatment and stood his ground to help his team to a memorable victory. Talking to The Indian Express, Pujara revealed the rationale behind his decision.
"I mostly got hit from one end and that too against (Pat) Cummins. There was this crack on the pitch around the short-of-length spot from where the ball would just take off. Cummins has the skill to make the ball rear up from there and make it follow you," explained Pujara.
"In case I took my hand up to defend it, there was a risk that I would glove the ball. Considering the match situation and how we couldn’t afford to lose wickets, I decided to let the ball hit my body," said Pujara.
Batting around Cheteshwar Pujara were India's two youngsters, Shubman Gill (91) and Rishabh Pant (89*), who played their natural shots and kept India in the game. It was ultimately Pant's straight drive to Josh Hazelwood that breached the Australia fortress of the Gabba with 3 overs to spare.
My threshold to bear pain is pretty high: Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara also revealed that he isn't a habitual user of painkillers and that helps him handle the pain better.
"It is tough to hold the bat, the grip was slightly loose. So you can’t hit the ball where you want to. From my early days, I am not in the habit of taking pain- killers. That’s why my threshold to bear pain is pretty high. You play for so long once you get used to getting hit," said Pujara.
India won the Test series 2-1 and Pujara finished the tour as India's second-highest scorer with 271 runs at an average of 33.