Cheteshwar Pujara plays in only one cricket format, so his chances of winning an ICC trophy have always been slim.
Cheteshwar Pujara’s career is successful by many standards, but he doesn’t seem to be done yet. Pujara got his century of international appearances against Australia at the recent Delhi Test, and the 35-year-old has his sights set on more team achievements than individual recognition.
India’s next competitive game comes up against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. India needs to defeat Australia in the last game (IND 2-1 AUS) to cement their place in the WTC Final in June.
Raring to Go
Pujara will be gunning to defeat Australia in the next game and go on to face them in the WTC final in June. Asked about the chances of getting more silverware at the tail end of his career, Pujara had this to say:
“There’s a lot to achieve but I am definitely satisfied …I am glad to be playing my hundredth Test, but at the same time, we are in the middle of an important series. Hopefully, we win this Test and move on and win another which will ensure we qualify for the WTC Finals… Yes, my dream is to win that WTC Final for the Indian team. Hopefully, once we qualify, we’ll look towards that.”
His limited exposure to competitive cricket also means his chances of being match-fit always pose a challenge. Pujara responded about keeping up with long cricket breaks, saying:
“If you look at the current schedule, on average we play about nine Tests. When you play one series and go back home, unless you’re playing first-class cricket, you’re not in touch with the game…That’s the most important part for a Test cricketer, to keep challenging yourself, to keep training, keep practicing… A Test cricketer needs to keep playing first-class cricket… you need to motivate yourself and be ready for the chance”
Pujara: The Record-Holding Batsman
Few international cricketers get to their hundredth test match before retirement, and only a handful of Indian greats have ever achieved that feat. Cheteshwar Pujara is now among the thirteen senior internationals to reach this milestone in competitive cricket for India.
Such a historic moment in Pujara’s career allows him to ponder on important aspects of his career as his active years as an athlete wind down.
Cheteshwar Pujara is also the eighth Indian batter to score 7000+ runs in the Test format. The right-handed batter endears fans to his game with accurate swings and an entertaining, yet calm approach to cricket matches.
Asked about his favorite moments as a cricketer, Pujara singled out his debut as one of the most important:
“The one is when I debuted and scored 72, I thought, that it was an important innings in my career because I was nervous. If I hadn’t scored those runs, maybe I may not have played international cricket after. That inning was special.
Moving on, the 92 (against Australia) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium is a favorite. Apart from that, my first overseas hundred against SA, I think it was Johannesburg in the second innings, 123 at Adelaide, and the last Test match at the Gabba, where I got hit on the body a few times. These are my special innings”
Australia: A Stumbling Block?
India’s opponent in the Border-Gavaskar tie, Australia, has always been a challenging opponent, and both teams currently occupy the top two positions in the WTC 2023 standings. With Australia already qualified to feature in the final, Sri Lanka is the most likely opponent to leapfrog India to the second final spot. Pujara had this to say about Australia:
“Australia is always a tough opposition against whom we have played some very good series. England has been a challenging opponent, even New Zealand…We have done well against all of them because as a team when someone challenges us, we know the potential we have in the team so people are willing to fight back when there is a challenge in front of them”
India can avoid late heartbreak for the country and Pujara if they can defeat Australia in the fourth game. The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final will take place at The Oval (London, England) from June 7 to 11, 2023. India were runners-up at the last edition, losing to New Zealand in 2021. Pujara hopes to avenge that loss against Australia this year, but first, India must qualify for the WTC Final ahead of Sri Lanka
