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regular-article-logo Tuesday, 14 May 2024

Cheteshwar Pujara bets on bowlers in test of best

The batsman's 500-plus runs with three top-notch hundreds formed the cornerstone of a 2-1 series win for the 2018-19 Test series

PTI New Delhi Published 17.11.20, 02:55 AM
Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara File picture

David Warner and Steve Smith’s presence does make Australia stronger, but Cheteshwar Pujara has full faith in India’s “remarkable” bowlers who, he feels, possess the wherewithal to script a repeat of the historic 2018-19 Test series victory.

Pujara’s 500-plus runs with three top-notch hundreds formed the cornerstone of a 2-1 series win back then, India’s first in Australia in 71 years. However, Smith and Warner didn’t play in that series due to their ball-tampering bans.

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“It (Australian batting line-up) will be a little stronger than what it was in 2018-19, but victories don’t come easy. If you want to win away from home, you need to work hard,” India’s dependable No. 3 said.

Pujara believes that India’s fast bowling troika of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami can again work up some magic like in 2018-19.

“No doubt, Smith, Warner and Marnus Labuschagne are great players. But the good part about our current crop of bowlers is that most of them play in the same series and our bowling unit will also not be very different to what it was in 2018-19.”

For India’s fast bowlers, it’s like a “been there, done that” situation. “They have their game plans in place and if we can execute them well, they are capable of getting Smith, Warner and Labuschagne out quickly. If we can do what we have done in the past, I am sure we have every chance of winning the series again.”

The opening Test in Adelaide is a Day-Night game and batting against the pink kookaburra during the twilight session will pose its own set of challenges, said the man who is nearing 6,000 Test runs (5,840 in 77 games) with 18 hundreds in his kitty.

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