Cheteshwar Pujara Reveals Why He Loves Batting With Virat Kohli

Cheteshwar Pujara, one of the bedrocks of the Indian Test batting line-up, recently gave an insight on what it’s like to bat with captain Virat Kohli.

Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara are one of the most successful Test batting pairs in the current era. The Indian No.3 and No.4 have batted together on 62 occasions, in which they have racked up 2894 runs at an average of 47.44 which also includes 14 half-century stands and seven-century partnerships.

Pujara, during a conversation with ‘Voice of Cricket’ Harsha Bhogle, said that the positive nature of Virat Kohli’s batting helps him settle into his role nicely.

”I enjoy playing with him (Kohli) and the reason is that he is a very positive player. Once he is at the crease, I know, bowlers will try to take his wicket because they think they can get him out early,” Cheteshwar Pujara told Cricbuzz.

Also Read- Josh Hazlewood Picks The Battle Against Cheteshwar Pujara In the 2018-19 Series As The Toughest Of his Career

‘The focus keeps shifting to Viar and I can be relaxed on the other end’- Cheteshwar Pujara

Such is the aura that Virat Kohli commands that once he is on the crease, all the focus of the opposition bowlers is solely on how to get the Indian superstar out as quickly as possible and Pujara said that it helps him get into his own without any substantial pressure.

“But he is always positive. If he gets a half-volley on the first ball, he will try to hit it for a four. So the scoreboard keeps moving and there is not much pressure on myself because the opposition is thinking of taking the wicket of Virat. So the focus keeps shifting to Virat and I can be relaxed on the other end. There have been instances where the opposition has been focusing on Virat and I have got a few loose balls,” he added.

A prime example of what Cheteshwar Pujara alluded to, was India’s triumphant 2018-19 Test tour of Australia where all the focus of the Aussie bowlers leading into the rubber was centered on neutralizing the Indian captain and as it turned it was Cheteshwar Pujara [521 runs with three hundreds], who turned out to be their biggest nemesis. Pujara, who recently started his practice, will once again hold the key when India travel Down Under for another edition of the Border Gavaskar Trophy later this year.