In the era of uber-stylish batters, Pujara was that glue that held the Indian batting together for a decade between 2013-14 till 2023 over a period of 100 plus Test matches.
Taking aim at senior players like Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, captain Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon, among others, he said that if their aim was to prolong their send-offs till after the Ashes, it was a wrong mindset.
Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Travis Head admitted that the hosts "didn't expect" to end the night at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium with a victory against Rajasthan Royals in the ongoing Indian Premier League.
Batting under lights on a lively track, Australia then suffered a collapse of their own and finished day two on 99-6 for an overall lead of 181 as they look to complete a series sweep.
'There will be guys that get opportunities. We've obviously got a few guys missing for this series (for) a well-earned rest.'
'SRH is perhaps looking for a captain and that could be the reason why we see the desperation to get in.'
'To be able to then just work through it, and you could see there definitely was a shift after the second game just from his own performance, you'd see there's a little bit of extra intensity in him after that.'
Australia carved out an 82-run lead over West Indies on day two of the first Test in Barbados on Thursday, with the hosts frustrated by several close umpiring calls that went against them.
South Africa beat Australia by five wickets to win World Test Championship
Leading a T20 side for the first time, Australia's World Cup winning skipper Pat Cummins says the shortest format is not taxing on body but the travel involved in the two-month long IPL and different-style preparations to face a variety of teams is certainly a huge challenge.
Rishabh Pant, who hit two centuries in the Headingley Test, now trails top-ranked batter Joe Root by just 88 points.
After a remarkable campaign last year, which saw SRH redefine T20 hitting with Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head at the helm, their aggressive approach backfired, bowing out of the league with just three wins in 11 games and plenty of underwhelming moments on the field as a batting and bowling unit.
Genset manufacturer Cummins India has seen its share price rise by 45 per cent in the past three months. The management has reaffirmed that growth would be in double digits over the coming two fiscal years. Growth is expected to be driven by a pickup in domestic infrastructure spending.
Joe Root scored his 37th Test hundred on Friday to go past the tally of former India skipper Rahul Dravid and contemporary Steve Smith.
'Personally, I think I'm really happy for a few reasons... the one main reason is it is the best that I felt like I have bowled for a little while'
Pat Cummins leads Australia fightback after Pakistan take early honours
"Have not captained Australia in T20s, its a bit faster": SRH skipper Pat Cummins ahead of MI clash
Pat Cummins may be undecided about his future as Australia's One-Day International captain after the World Cup but few of his compatriots will be urging him to stand down after his efforts in India.
Australia will have to dust off the cobwebs but are still fancied to successfully defend their World Test Championship crown against equally ring-rusty South Africa in the final at Lord's.
South Africa ended 27 years of hurt by beating Australia at Lord's to win the ICC World Test Championship 2025.
Speaking ahead of the first Test from June 25 onwards at Barbados, Joseph said as quoted by Sydney Morning Herald, "To take 13 wickets across the series was a good feeling. A lot has changed. There were a lot of opportunities that came my way."
KKR's most successful leader Gautam Gambhir is back in his second innings as a mentor. His partnership with head coach Chandrakant Pandit, a shrewd tactician in domestic circuit, will be the key to their revival.
'The prospect of Konstas facing Jofra Archer with the first ball of the Ashes on November 21 -- potentially delivered at 155km/h -- doesn't feel like a fair fight.'
Cricket Australia will support any Aussie player who chooses not to return, as the focus shifts toward international duties -- particularly the World Test Championship final at Lord's on June 11.
Kolkata Knight Riders will have little motivation left when they take on also ousted Sunrisers Hyderabad in an inconsequential IPL game in New Delhi on Sunday.
Joe Root has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Men's Test Batting Rankings after his stellar efforts helped England secure a 22-run victory over India at Lord's, according to the official website of the ICC.
Australia ruthlessly completed a 159-run victory over West Indies in the first Test in Barbados on Friday after Josh Hazlewood's five-wicket masterclass broke the hosts' resistance on a pitch that deteriorated into a bowler's paradise.
The West Indies produced another dominant day with the ball against Australia and then survived a tense final hour Saturday to take the honours after the first day of the day-night third Test.
Cummins, in six months' time, has retained the Ashes, won the World Test Championship and the biggest of them all-- ODI World Cup in India.
England have requested a pitch with 'plenty of life in it' as they look to unleash returning pacers Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson in the third Test against India at Lord's.
Pat Cummins took 10 wickets to lead Australia to Pakistan series triumph
Steve Smith's magnificent 71 guided Australia to 221 for seven at stumps on Day 3 of the second Test against the West Indies in Grenada on Saturday, helping the tourists to build a commanding 254-run lead despite late wickets and persistent rain interruptions.
SRH finished last in 2023, but Pat Cummins, who was roped in for a whopping Rs 20.50 crore, scripted a sensational turnaround for the franchise, taking the team to the final with a 36-run victory over Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 in Chennai on Friday.
On Thursday, intensified shelling along the Line of Control and reports of drone and missile activity triggered anxiety across IPL camps.
Skipper Pat Cummins, who missed the tour of Sri Lanka due to the birth of his second child in February and was also ruled out of the Champions Trophy campaign with an ankle injury, will take the reins against South Africa.
Probably the pitch is playing on Australians' mind before the big match.
IMAGES from the Indian Premier League match played between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Lucknow, on Friday.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the WTC Final between Australia and South Africa at Lord's on Wednesday
SRH's Abhinav Manohar made up for his batting failure with a brilliant catch at point.
Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel would like to quickly forget the underwhelming performances of his side in home conditions and get their stuttering campaign back on track when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad, who are teetering on the edge of elimination, in the IPL match in Hyderabad on Monday.
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