"They are playing too many shots in the first 15-20 overs" - Cheteshwar Pujara questions India's batting approach on Day 2 of BGT 2024-25 2nd Test
Cheteshwar Pujara has questioned India's batting approach in their second innings of the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He noted that the visiting batters played too many shots against the new ball.
Australia posted 337 runs in their first innings to take a 157-run lead in Adelaide on Saturday, December 7. India ended Day 2 at 128/5 in their second innings, still trailing the hosts by 29 runs.
During a discussion on Star Sports, Pujara criticized India for adopting an overaggressive approach in their second innings.
"The way they are batting, something has been discussed in the team meeting where the approach seems to be to play more positively. We batted cautiously against the new ball in Perth (in the second innings of the first Test). They are playing too many shots in the first 15-20 overs," he said.
The veteran India batter pointed out that the conditions need to be respected.
"Quite often you have to play shots to put pressure on the bowlers, but you have to somewhere or the other respect the conditions as well because the Australian bowlers know which channel to bowl," Pujara observed.
Pujara praised the Australian seamers for bowling the ideal line and length.
"You have to praise the Australian bowlers. We were discussing yesterday that the Indian bowlers should bowl more at the stumps and that they can bowl fuller. The Australian bowlers learned from that. They bowled more on top of off and used the bouncers also in between," he elaborated.
Pat Cummins (2/33) and Scott Boland (2/39) have been Australia's most successful in India's second innings thus far. Mitchell Starc (1/49) picked up the other wicket to fall, casting Shubman Gill with a peach of a delivery.
"You have to show more confidence in your defense" - Cheteshwar Pujara to the Indian batters
![Shubman Gill was beaten all ends up by a big Mitchell Starc inswinger. [P/C: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/12/29c54-17335765498453-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same discussion, Cheteshwar Pujara urged the Indian batters to show more trust in their defensive game.
"The bowling was excellent but the shot selection could have been better. You need to bat a little more cautiously. You have to show more confidence in your defense. The biggest point, according to me, was the lack of experience with the pink ball," he said.
The cricketer-turned-commentator attributed the Indian batters' dismissals to their inexperience against the pink ball.
"We don't play too many day-night Tests. So we don't have the experience there. The ball skids a little more, and the reaction time is less. All the batters who got out were somewhere or the other late on the ball," Pujara observed.
KL Rahul (7), Yashasvi Jaiswal (24), Virat Kohli (11), Shubman Gill (28) and Rohit Sharma (6) were the Indian batters to be dismissed in their second innings. The unbeaten duo of Rishabh Pant (28*) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (15*) and the remaining batters have an uphill task on Day 3 to set a challenging target for Australia.