India vs Australia | Knew what to expect from Australian pitches, claims Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara, who was adjudged as man of the match in the series opening win in Adelaide on Monday, has revealed he was prepared for the tough Australian pitches beforehand. Pujara scored a brilliant 123 in the first innings to keep India in the game and hit 71 in the second for the visitors.
After ending the T20I series at 1-1, India secured another win on their tour of Australia as they beat the hosts’ by 31 runs in the four-match Test series opener at the Adelaide Cricket Ground on Monday. The visitors specifically had Cheteshwar Pujara to thank, who kept Virat Kohli & Co. in the game with a valiant 123 in the first innings on a tough Day 1.
Pujara, who scored 71 in the second innings, was adjudged as man of the match for his exploits in the first Test and was delighted with his performance in what turned out to be a nervy finish in the end. However, the Indian Test specialist revealed that he had down an extensive study of Australian pitches before arriving on tour and was prepared for the tough conditions Down Under.
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Pujara also added that his dad would be proud of his performance in the first Test. The Saurashtra-born cricketer has been criticised for not playing well enough on foreign tours but silenced his doubters after his exploits Down Under.
"Means a lot. He's someone who started coaching me when I was 8 years. He would be a proud dad. Always back my ability, have got enough experience playing for the Indian team. As a batting unit, we have a lot to improve on. We learn from our mistakes, and played much better in the second innings," Pujara added.