Rishabh Pant And Cheteshwar Pujara, ICC World Test Championship
Rishabh Pant And Cheteshwar Pujara (Image Credit: Twitter)

Star India National Cricket Team wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has said that the veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara’s advice had cost him his century at the Sydney Cricket Ground Test against Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21.

Rishabh Pant was one of the star performers for India in their historic 2-1 Test series victory over the strong Australian team in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21.

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Rishabh Pant
Image Source: Twitter

In the 3rd Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, India got a huge target of 407 runs to chase. The Indian openers batted decently before getting dismissed and then stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane got out for a low score.

However, Pant and Pujara batted very well and added 148 runs together to put India in a solid position. Pant was dismissed by Nathan Lyon while trying to go for a boundary and his innings finished at 97 runs off 118 balls.

Now, in a docu-series on India’s Test series win in Australia in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Pant made a revelation about how Pujara’s advice led to his dismissal.

Cheteshwar Pujara of India (Photo-Getty)
Cheteshwar Pujara of India (Photo-Getty)

“‘Rishabh…try to stick. You can work in singles, doubles too. You don’t have to hit a boundary’,” Pant recalled what Pujara told him during the innings in the docuseries named Bandon Mein Tha Dum currently streaming on VOOT.

“I got a little angry that they put me in this double-minded state. Because I like it when I’m very clear in my plans that this is what I want to do. We had built such a good momentum. In my mind the only thing at that time was ‘damn, what just happened?’ Because if I reached 100 there, it would have been one of my best.”

When Rishabh Pant came in, he was disappointed and angry – Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane, India
Ajinkya Rahane. Image-Twitter.

Then India’s stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane, who was leading the side in the absence of Virat Kohli, also talked about Pant’s dismissal and said that the wicketkeeper-batsman was angry at Pujara after getting out.

‘Pujara from the other end was telling him to slow down. We can score runs later. When any experienced player comes and tells you, ‘Now wait, you’re on 97 and you’re playing well, but now if you play a little sensibly you can make your 100. He was backing his game but unfortunately, he got out,” Rahane said.

“When he came in, he was disappointed and angry and he said, ‘Pujara bhai came and reminded me that I was on 97. I wasn’t even aware. Had he not said anything, I would have probably completed my hundred,” he added.

Meanwhile, after Pujara’s dismissal for 77 off 205 balls, Hanuma Vihari and Ravichandran Ashwin’s remarkable blockathon helped India draw the third Test.

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Sonanchal Gautam is the Assistant Content Manager at Cricketaddictor. He is a professional Wrestling and Hip-hop enthusiast.