Australia vs India 2018-19: Cheteshwar Pujara is as Valuable as Virat Kohli for India in Tests: Sourav Ganguly

Former Indian National Cricket team skipper Sourav Ganguly hailed one-drop batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who continued to impress in the ongoing Test series against Australia Down Under.

Meanwhile, Pujara continued his fine form to bring up his third century of the series. He remained unbeaten on 130 runs as India posted 303 runs for the loss of four wickets at the end of day one in Sydney. Cheteshwar Pujara hit 123 and 106 in Adelaide and Melbourne respectively and India won both the Test matches and are ahead 2-1 in the series.

So much so, even Virat Kohli’s effort in 2014 is looking small in front of the monumental Pujara. Kohli scored 692 runs in that tour but India lost the series 2-0. And this is why Sourav Ganguly feels that Pujara’s efforts are much more important than Kohli’s in 2014.

“We all remember how sensational Virat Kohli was in Australia in 2014. He hit four centuries in four Tests but in this series, Cheteshwar Pujara has had a bigger impact than Kohli compared to that series. Because India have won all the Tests Pujara has hit a century in so far and maybe the same will happen in Sydney.

“India are very close to winning a Test series in Australia and I don’t think India can lose the game from here on. So India will win the series and these three centuries from Pujara has had a huge impact and you can’t compare with any other hundreds,” Ganguly said in IndiaTV’s show Cricket Ki Baat.

“This was an opportunity for India to win a series outside the sub-continent after the losses in South Africa and England and Pujara has batted the best he has ever in his life. So the impact is on another level and can’t be compared to any other century,” he added.

“So, in this Test team and after this Test series, I feel Pujara is equally valuable as Kohli. I also feel this is just the beginning for Pujara and the next three years will be even better for Pujara,” Ganguly concluded.