Rahul Dravid has been a great help, says Cheteshwar Pujara
Getty Images
Cheteshwar Pujara has revealed that former Indian batsman Rahul Dravid has always helped him all through his career with valuable advice on batting. The 29-year old also revealed his aspirations to play in the English County League after his stint with Nottinghamshire came to an end.
Cheteshwar Pujara was in impeccable form in India's home Test season scoring 1316 runs in 13 Tests at a staggering average of 62.66. Owing to his consistent excellence at the number three spot in Tests, Pujara has earned the title of "Mr. Dependable" that previously belonged to Rahul Dravid. The Saurashtra batsman revealed that it was indeed the "Wall" of Indian cricket who helped him flourish as a Test specialist.
“He (Dravid) is a humble person. He has always been a great help. Whenever I have approached him for advice, he has been forthcoming. Once when I was not in the best of form, I reached out to him and after watching me bat in the nets for some time, said there was nothing wrong with my technique,” Pujara told Indian Express.
Pujara is not a part of the Indian team that is touring the Caribbean and recently ended his English County season with Nottinghamshire scoring 233 runs in his third county stint. The 29-year old was a part of Yorkshire and Derbyshire for the two seasons he played earlier. He expressed his aspirations to play in the tournament once again stating his growth as a batsman in the challenging English conditions as the reason for the same.
“It was great to be associated with Nottinghamshire. I enjoyed playing on wickets in England in challenging conditions. Facing fast bowlers/seamers there is a different experience when compared to playing in India. I am happy that I was able to cope well and score runs,” Pujara said.
“I would love to play in the English County season again, if and when the chance comes. During the county stint, I got to spend time with English players Stuart Broad and Samit Patel (who both play for Nottinghamshire) and former England coach Peter Moores. I discussed playing on different kinds of pitches and
India will next tour Sri Lanka for a full tour and are scheduled to play their sub-continental opponents in a 3-match Test series. Pujara recalled his scintillating innings against Sri Lanka in the final Test of the 3-match away series that the Indian team played in 2015. The Saurashtra batsman was brought in as a last-minute replacement after Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan suffered injuries and went on to score 145 runs in the first innings of the final Test which India won to clinch the series 2-1.
“That century was in 2015 against Lanka was a career- defining one for me. I was under pressure and had been struggling for form. It was a difficult phase but I always believed in my abilities. I felt happy to score when the team needed it the most,” he said.
Will Zimbabwe be bowled out?
Presenting Nostragamus, the first ever prediction game which covers all sports, including Cricket. Play the SL vs ZIM challenge and answer all the questions with just a single swipe!
Join 30,000 players who win cash by just predicting the correct outcome of live matches. Click here to download the app on Android for FREE! Don't worry, it's safe!!
