Doesn’t matter what level, Cheteshwar Pujara always wants to win, says Jaydev Unadkat

01/28/2019

Jaydev Unadkat has lavished praise on Indian Test team member, Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored an unbeaten 131 in the fourth innings chase against Karnataka in the semi-final of this year’s Ranji Trophy. Saurashtra will go up against defending champions Vidarbha in the final of the tournament.

Saurashtra sealed a berth in the final of the ongoing season of the Ranji Trophy after they managed to beat fellow semi-finalists Karnataka on Monday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Saurashtra beat their opponents by five wickets as India Test team player Cheteshwar Pujara was named as man of the match. Saurashtra teammate Jaydev Unadkat lavished praise on the middle-order batsman’s efforts as he revealed that Pujara is always hungry for a win while batting on the pitch.

"The way he approached this game, or even the last game, he wants it more than any one of us. That's one thing I really love about him. Doesn't really matter what game, what level he's playing, he just wants to be out there and win it for the team. It's really showing at the moment how determined he is to win it for Saurashtra. Helping me in the field, helping other batsmen on how to approach the game, not just in the middle but out of the game as well.

"The guys have been really fortunate to have him in the side. He has been guiding the batsmen in the UP [Uttar Pradesh] game as well, that was one game where we got the confidence and it reflected in this game. Even though we were 23 for 3, no one actually was out of belief that we can win this game, it was down to him. The character that he has, the image that he has. We're lucky to have him in the team for sure," Unadkat told Cricinfo.

Pujara, who was also adjudged as man of the series in the Test series win against Australia last month, scored an unbeaten 131 in the fourth innings against Karnataka to lead his team to the final. Unadkat felt there had been a few debatable decisions through the match, going against both teams, but he sympathised with the umpires.

"I think anyone can have a tough game. The ball was moving a lot, deviating from the wicket," he said. "I'd just say that [the umpiring] has been neutral for sure… thought it was out, we thought it was not out. There were a couple of other decisions as well, which went against us, and we didn't really it take in our mind and play the game, which I think they did.

"I'm really happy, don't want to take any credit away from how we played this game, how we fought after being 23 for 3, and playing the way Cheteshwar and Sheldon played. Even the second innings, when we bowled, it was one of those innings which I felt was really absorbing. We were all drained out after that third day of play. To be playing that kind of cricket against a side as good as Karnataka is what really matters to me rather than anything else in this game, and I wouldn't want to focus on anything else," Unadkat, who was the most expensive player at the 2018 IPL auction, concluded.

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Doesn’t matter what level, Cheteshwar Pujara always wants to win, says Jaydev Unadkat

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