'He's a very talented batsman and able to bat long period of time.'
IMAGES from Day 1 of the second Test between South Africa and India, in Johannesburg, on Monday.
India's formidably consistent match-winners have a date with history in the New Year when they take on an out-of-sorts South Africa in the second Test in Johannesburg from Monday in pursuit of a coveted first-ever series win in the Rainbow Nation.
Virat Kohli shouldn't give up on the drives through the off-side which has got him loads of runs but he does need to be judicious while choosing the right delivery for the shot, said India's batting coach Vikram Rathour.
'I can from outside say criticism is unnecessary but I know for a fact that Pujara doesn't care and criticism is as relevant as you want it to be.'
Images from Day 3 of the first Test between India and England, at the M A Chidambaram stadium, in Chennai.
India's premier Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara will play for Team Zalawad Royals in the inaugural Saurashtra Premier League.
India last lost a Test series on home soil nearly 10 years ago.
Indian cricket fans celebrate historic win over Australia on Tuesday.
Pujara may not have set alight county cricket with his Yorkshire stint but many believe the time he spent in the country gives him a distinct advantage over his team mates.
India have a real shot at winning their first ever away series against South Africa,
It is learnt that Shubman has been told that he would bat in the middle-order in the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur, where Ajinkya Rahane will lead the team in the absence of Virat Kohli, who is on a break.
South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada tried to disturb Cheteshwar Pujara's concentration on the opening day of the second Test in Pune.
Do you know who rules Cheteshwar Pujara's heart?
Images from Day 1 of the third Test between South Africa and India, in Cape Town, on Tuesday.
Rohit's 162-run partnership with Ajinkya Rahane dragged the hosts back into the contest, before England dismissed both in the final session.
'Cheteshwar Pujara is the wall (of Indian cricket) after Rahul Dravid. He is the Indian wall like the China Wall (referring to the Great Wall of China).'
Victorious India will seek more of the same when the second Test against South Africa starts at The Wanderers on Monday, but for the home side there is much to ponder as they try to level the series at a ground where they have never beaten the visitors.
Kohli's meeting would be about motivating his teammates
The selectors have decided to persist with struggling opener K L Rahul who has gone through a string of poor scores.
India's strong opening day show may have put South Africa on the backfoot in the first Test in Centurion, on Sunday, but home side pacer Lungi Ngidi said they still can turn the match around if they bowl the tourists out under 350.
Left-arm spinner Axar Patel picked up five wickets to help India grab a handy 49-run first-innings lead on Day 3 of the first Test against New Zealand on Saturday.
Here are some of the memorable celebratory moments...
Can this Indian side, which has shown character and courage after the debacle in the first Test at Adelaide, stun the Aussies at their favourite hunting ground?
Pant bludgeoned four sixes and nine fours in his innings of 96 in 97 deliveries as India reached 357 for six
The spotlight will, however, continue to be on the 33-year-old Kohli in Mohali with the contest against Sri Lanka being his 100th Test match for the country.
For the Indian captain and his team, the WTC final is like their Test debuts as young players trying to come up the ranks.
Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara have been a "bit of a headache" for South Africa and the hosts will look to get them out early on Day 3 of the series-deciding third Test, said Proteas batter Keegan Petersen, in Cape Town, on Wednesday.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya is one of the notable promotions to Grade A, which is worth Rs 5 crore, while rookies Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj got their maiden central contracts, worth Rs 1 crore, in Grade C.
Jasprit Bumrah will have to squeeze every ounce of energy from his already overworked body, while Ajinkya Rahane will hope to get one final chance to save his international career when India take on England in the fifth and final Test, chasing a historic series win, in Manchester on Friday.
Virat Kohli's talismanic presence will be the shot in the arm that India would need in their bid to win the historic first-ever away Test series against South Africa.
In all likelihood, vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane would get another chance but over the past two years, his inconsistency has hurt this team badly.
A resolute Ravichandran Ashwin and a hamstrung Hanuma Vihari battled pain and a hostile Australian bowling attack while displaying the largely extinct art of Test-saving batsmanship to snatch a remarkable draw for India in the third Test, after Rishabh Pant raised visions of an improbable victory, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, on Monday.
India No 3 batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who ground it out on Day 1, scoring 43 off 160 balls, believes that the match is evenly poised after India ended the day at 233 for 6 but conceded that skipper Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane's dismissals in the final hour of the opening day will provide a 'little bit of advantage' to the hosts.
The performance of openers Rohit Sharma and K L Rahul has been the biggest plus for India in the batting department. Both have showed remarkable temperament and technique in testing conditions to give the team a solid start.
Shreyas Iyer's dream Test debut has put India in pole position in the opening Test against New Zealand but it also presented his team with a selection headache for the second and final test in Mumbai next week.
South Africa have often relied on fast bowlers on spicy home wickets to get them to victory, but are also well aware that India have developed an excellent pace attack that has brought them overseas success in the last few years.
Debutant Shreyas Iyer and recalled opener Shubman Gill struck half-centuries to help India overcome Kyle Jamieson's terrific display of seam bowling and post 258/4 on Day 1 of the opening Test against New Zealand.
Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg feels young Prithvi Shaw is more suited for the number three spot in Test cricket and is the top candidate to step in place of Cheteshwar Pujara if India think of replacing the veteran India batsman in the five-Test series against England, starting next month.
The best-selling author was all of us :))) at the Virushka reception.
