Calcutta/New Delhi: Cheteshwar Pujara doesn't fall among those who sledge the opposition. But if sledging helps his team's bowlers, he wouldn't mind throwing a barb or two at the rival batsmen.
"I do make a lot of noise while playing FIFA (soccer games). These days you must have seen me making quite a bit of noise on the field.
"To be precise, I am learning the tricks of sledging. If you need to sledge a particular batsman, you need to go ahead. If sledging helps our bowlers, I will certainly sledge," the India No.3 batsman said during an interactive session with teammate Ajinkya Rahane for bcci.tv.
Talking about his penchant for big hundreds, Pujara said: "I remember scoring a 300 in my first under-14 match. It all started from there.
"I always felt that if you want to win four-day games, you need to score big runs to win it for your team. Just a 100 is not enough."
Interacting with each other after their 217-run stand at the SSC, which helped India win the second Test and thereby the series versus Sri Lanka, the two most reliable batsmen of India's line-up in the longest format gave an insight into their mindset.
While they do sledge when the need arises, both Rahane and Pujara go about their business in a calm and composed manner. It's that nature of staying calm which helps to bring out their best on the field.
"I have been a quiet person since childhood. Maybe it is because of my family background. But staying calm really helps a lot on the field, especially in Test matches," Rahane said.
People perceive Rahane to be of a reserved nature. But the middle-order batsman feels he is not of that type.
"I am not as reserved as people think or as I used to be. I do like to talk... In fact, I talk a lot with my wife," he quipped.
Pujara and Rahane also discussed about India's emphatic win in the second Test, with both of them stitching a big partnership to lay the platform for India's innings win.
"It was not easy with the ball turning. The track also offered good bounce. So, I wanted to take my time initially.
"I was visualising in the dressing room how to play the spinners. I wanted to unsettle them," said Rahane.
He also threw light on how he became an improved slip fielder. "I remember dropping a lot of catches during my early days. It hurt me and I started working on that aspect.
"Last time when we came to Sri Lanka, I decided take 100 catches in every session and I am still working on the catching aspect," he said.
The series may be done and dusted with India already having taken an unassailable and unbeatable 2-0 lead, but Pujara and Rahane would certainly like to keep the good work going in the inconsequential third and final Test in Pallekele and stack up the numbers before tougher assignments.
Meanwhile, left-arm spinner Akshar Patel is likely to be called up as the 15th member of the Indian team due to Ravindra Jadeja's suspension from the third Test in Pallekele, starting August 12. While Kuldeep looks set to be part of the XI in place of Jadeja, the team management wants to have a cover for the young chinaman bowler.
