Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara (Credits - Twitter)

Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are the most reliable batsmen in the longest format. They have been match-winners and have often taken one for the team. Pujara mocked Australia’s approach in the Bengaluru Test in 2017. The visiting Australian side were high on confidence after plummeting India by 333 runs in the first in Pune.

In the second Test, India were bundled out for 189 runs in their first essay with their off-spinner Nathan Lyon picking up eight wickets in the innings. For Australia, strong performances from Matt Renshaw and Shaun Marsh helped them take a healthy 279 runs lead to put India in a spot of bother.

India resumed their second innings but lost four wickets inside 120 runs giving hope to the visitors to take a 2-0 advantage in the four-match series. But a solid 118-run stand between Cheteshawar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane dashed the hopes of the visitors.

Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara (Credits: Getty Images)

Cheteshwar Pujara: They sledged as if they won the match

“For me I think the first Test match… when we lost, all of us sat together and had a chat. In a 4-Test series, it’s always difficult to make a comeback after being 1-0 down,” Pujara said.

“In the 1st innings (Bengaluru Test), we didn’t bat well. So when I was walking into it, I felt a lot of pressure. But after the 1st innings, Anil bhai (Kumble) had a chat with me on how to tackle Nathan Lyon. I went to the NCA and worked on a few things which helped me.

Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane
Cheteshwar Pujara-Ajinkya Rahane (credits – Zee News)

“But I felt pressure when I walked into bat (2nd innings). The kind of sledging they did… I thought they were a little ahead of what they wanted to achieve. Their thought process was… they felt they had already won the game.

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“By Tea time, I was with Ajinkya (Rahane), we were coming into the dressing room and they were sledging as if they had won the game. That is when things did turn around, I felt,” he added.

India went on to win the match by 75 runs and later sealed the series 2-1 in a dramatic comeback.