Aakash Chopra Explains Why Pat Cummins Has Had Cheteshwar Pujara's Number In The Current Series

Death, taxes, and Pat Cummins knocking over India’s Cheteshwar Pujara are one of the few constants currently and it was once again on full display on the third day of the Sydney Test as the champion fast bowler once again accounted for the Indian No.3

Cummins has sent down 129 balls to Pujara in the ongoing Test series and has conceded just 19 runs besides claiming four times in five innings.

And, the dismissals have almost been cut-copy-paste on every single occasion with him bringing the ball into Pujara at an inward angle before getting it to straighten off the seam, forcing the Saurashtra batsman to fend it either to slips or gully or to the wicketkeeper.

On Saturday, it was the extra bounce coupled with an impeccable length that led to the undoing of Pujara.

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra feels that there is a pattern developing in Pujara’s dismissals against Pat Cummins. The former opener-turned commentator observed that Pujara’s back leg remains firmly rooted to the crease. He added that his back leg is not committing at all, forcing him to be either on the front foot or firmly on the crease.

“There is a pattern now that is developing, which I think is a troubling story as far as Pujara is concerned. Now, its like four out of five times that he has been dismissed by Cummins. And, three of those dismissals are almost identical where he is rooted on the crease,” Aakash Chopra told ESPNCricinfo.

” These balls are not the balls where you can go forward. But if you can’t go forward, then you have to go backward. Use that 4.5-meter crease depth and ride the bounce a little bit. Those three dismissals are cut-copy-paste where the back leg is rooted on the pooping crease and he tries to fend it, but finds either the edge or the gloves. So, there is one flaw that is coming to the fore which is the back leg is not moving at all, and committing yourself either front foot or just staying on the crease completely” he added.

On Saturday, Pujara completed his slowest Test fifty, post which his dismissal against Pat Cummins triggered another Indian collapse that saw them lose their last 6 wickets for 50 runs.

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