England vs India 2018, Lord's, Cheteshwar Pujara, Mohinder Amarnath, Ravindra Jadeja
Mohinder Amarnath backed Cheteshwar Pujara to start at Lord's. Image Courtesy: Getty

There is no doubt about the fact that Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara is one of the mainstays of batting line-up for Team India in the longest format of the game.

The top order batsman Pujara feels that he has done enough to be part of the Indian team for the five-match Test series against England. The opening Test of the series begins on 1st August at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

Pujara has been a run machine for India especially in home conditions. However, his form hasn’t been great always when he has toured outside the subcontinent.

However, despite his indifference showing outside the subcontinent. He feels that he has done enough to secure his place in the Test side.

“When it comes to my batting or my position, I don’t need to fear anyone else or anything. I have proved that I am worthy enough to be part of the Indian team. And I have performed enough in 2017-18. I obviously deserve my place. I have offered enough to the team. My team-mates and team management have acknowledged that, so there is no pressure,” Pujara was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo.

Sourav Ganguly, Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara is known for taking his time at the crease. Image Courtesy: Getty Images

Pujara has a pretty poor record in England so far, for India in Test cricket. He has scored 222 runs in 10 innings on their last tour in 2014. He further added that failing is normal for a cricketer. There is no need to come under pressure for that particular reason.

Batsmen shouldn’t put extra pressure for not scoring runs: Cheteshwar Pujara

“See, sometimes you do fail, but you don’t need to put a lot of pressure on yourself as an individual. I feel I don’t have to prove myself to anyone other than myself. And I know that I have scored enough runs there in county cricket and even for India A,” Pujara stated.

 

“It is not [always] about scoring big hundreds. I would obviously love to score as many runs as possible, but if you look at the average score in England, it is not like India, where you can get three or four centuries in a five-Test series. [In England] even the top players have about two centuries and few fifties. So, the average score is different from when you play in Australia, South Africa, and even in India,” Pujara explained.

Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara key at number three for India in Test cricket. Image Courtesy: Getty Images

“You need to make adjustments in your technique, in your temperament, whatever needs to be done to be even more successful,” Pujara said while explaining how a cricketer should adjust to the difficult pitch conditions.

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