Very confident I can be successful in white ball cricket, claims Cheteshwar Pujara

One of the most graceful batsmen to watch in the sport at the moment, Cheteshwar Pujara, has been a rock in the Indian Test squad for quite a few years now with consistency being the hallmark of his game. His composure and tenacity to fight the odds and come away with good performances in tough situations is what has defined his career, with his defensive playing style drawing comparisons with the wall himself, Rahul Dravid. However, Pujara dismissed the same saying he is still far off from matching the legendary figure’s contributions to the Men in Blue.

“I do not believe in comparisons. Rahul (Dravid) bhai is someone I grew up watching. It is an honour to be compared with him and I’ve learned so many things from him, but I wouldn’t like comparing myself to him. He has also advised me to “try to be who you are, rather than trying to copy someone.” I’ve always believed in playing my natural game, and yes, there are so many similarities, especially when you are batting at No. 3 because you have to see through the new ball; you have to bat time if the pitch is difficult. I don’t believe it is the right comparison because he has scored more than 10,000 runs in Tests and ODIS, and I still have a long journey ahead,” he was quoted saying in Sportstar’s podcast, Couch Talk.

However, this also means that he has remained restricted to red-ball cricket throughout his career. While he has 70 Test caps to his name, he has only played five ODIs and 64 T20s, which seems absurd. Nevertheless, after successful county and list A seasons with the white ball, Pujara believes he can excel in the shorter versions too.

“I’ve always believed that I can play white-ball cricket, there is no doubt about it. I am still learning - there is a lot to learn about batting in the shorter formats since I specialized in Test cricket. At the same time, it is only marginal changes you have to make in your game to be successful in shorter formats which I have done. I have seen the success in domestic cricket and I am confident that I’ll be successful if I get an opportunity in any of the IPL teams. I am very confident that I can be successful in all formats of the game but my priority will always be Test cricket,” he reckoned.

Averaging 50 in Tests with nearly 5,500 runs and 18 centuries, Pujara has had a plethora of memorable innings but his pick for his favourite one was rather an unexpected choice.

“I still remember the Test series against Australia in India in 2017. We had lost the first Test match of the series in Pune and Australia were in a commanding position in the second Test match in Bangalore, and myself and Ajinkya had a very good partnership. I think I scored 92 or 96, I can’t remember the exact number but that is one of the best Test innings I have played. I would rate that as one of the top five innings I have played in my career. That Test match might be the best Test match I may have played in India, and in my entire Test career. That innings, I’ll remember for a long, long time,” he signed off.