Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting found India's slow batting baffling in the third Test and feels that Cheteshwar Pujara's 106 off 319 balls may end up being the reason for their defeat.
Cheteshwar Pujara, a vital cog in India's batting wheel, on Tuesday, stressed on the importance of leaving the ball on the bouncy pitches of South Africa during the three-Test series beginning, in Cape Town, on Friday.
Cheteshwar Pujara hit his second century of the series before India captain Virat Kohli declared their first innings closed at 443 for seven after tea on day two of the third Test against Australia on Thursday.
West Indies all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall said making Cheteshwar Pujara his first victim in his debut Test was a good feeling to have.
'I knew that I had to stay patient and wait for the loose balls but the way they bowled, they bowled in the right areas'
Cheteshwar Pujara has set an example for others with his first-innings century
Impressed with Cheteshwar Pujara's performance, English county side Derbyshire is in talks with the batsman to sign him for next year as well but his IPL commitments and a tour of Bangladesh could prove to be the 'stumbling block'.
'This is the best Indian side I have been part of'
Ravichandran Ashwin's childhood coach Sunil Subramanian wished the experienced off-spinner ahead of his 100th Test as India is set to lock horns with England in the fifth and final Test of the five-match series at Dharamsala from Thursday.
'He showed what Test cricket is all about.'< 'It is not about hitting the ball and looking fancy out in the middle, it is about showing grit.'
With only two training sessions possible under lights before the day/night Test at the Eden Gardens starting November 22, the Indian team is trying to make most of the time at their disposal.
Anil Kumble helped Pujara to overcome the challenges posed by Steve O'Keefe in the ongoing Test series against Australia.
With the world celebrating International Yoga Day, current and former Indian cricketers shared their favourite asanas.
Cheteshwar Pujara struck an unbeaten century to give India a slender first innings lead on Day 2 of the fourth Test against England.
Cheteshwar Pujara's presence did not help Saurashtra as a gritty Tripura humbled the defending champions
Cheteshwar Pujara will be starting his 'homework' for India's 'English Test'.
India test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has signed for a second stint with English county Yorkshire to prepare for his national side's tour of the country later this year.
Cheteshwar Pujara contributed an unbeaten 130 to India's 303 for four on the opening day of the fourth Test against Australia in Sydney on Thursday, keeping the tourists firmly on track for a historic breakthrough with his third century of the series.
India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara says runs in Duleep Trophy have given him a much-needed confidence boost ahead of the Test series against New Zealand starting on Thursday in Kanpur.
Former Australia cricketer Brad Hodge called Jasprit Bumrah 'a nightmare to face' in an enormous compliment but picked Cheteshwar Pujara's runs at number three as the vital difference between the two sides.
As Ravichandran Ashwin prepares to step onto the field for his 100th Test in the upcoming Dharamsala fixture on March 7, he is poised to join a prestigious group of 14 Indian cricketers
India captain Virat Kohli said he was not "cool as ice" after the Australian lower-order's spirited resistance delayed India's march to victory in the opening Test in Adelaide.
India skipper Rohit Sharma already stated that the way England plays isn't their concern but the sub plot of the five-match series will be England's 'Bazball' vs India's spin.
India's senior batsman Cheteshwar Pujara is expecting a strong showing from Ravichandran Ashwin in the upcoming Test series against Australia.
Cheteshwar Pujara has never been known for sledging opposition batsmen but he is not averse to the idea if it helps the bowler.
Cheteshwar Pujara didn't exactly have a great tour of Australia in 2014-15 but the Saurashtra batsman has been 'flexible in altering his game' as per team's demands which has got him success this time, said captain Virat Kohli.
Shivam Dube continued his recent streak of form with a counter-attacking fifty that proved to be the cornerstone of Mumbai's excellent 330 for six against Bengal
Yashasvi Jaiswal joined the legendary Sunil Gavaskar as the only two Indian batters to score more than 700 runs in a bilateral Test series.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane shared an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 93 to keep alive India's hopes of a series-levelling win over Australia, giving the hosts a lead of 126 on a see-saw third day of the second Test in Bengaluru on Monday.
Vihari, Gill and Iyer have all played Tests for India in the absence of regular players and Rohit said a decision on the composition of the side against Sri Lanka was yet to be made.
Statistical highlights from the second day's play of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka.
Pujara scored an unbeaten 130 as India finished day one at 303 for four.
Cheteshwar Pujara's ability to absorb pressure makes it easier for the other batsmen to play their natural game.
'If he wants to bat at No 3, especially on Indian tracks where spinners will cause trouble, he will have to rotate strike.'
It was a day full of runs for Team India on a placid track as local boy Cheteshwar Pujara and opening batsman Murali Vijay struck impressive centuries on Friday, to push India's first innings tally to 319 for 45 in response to England's mammoth 537.
"During the county stint, I got to spend time with English players Stuart Broad and Samit Patel (who both play for Nottinghamshire) and former England coach Peter Moores.
Cheteshwar Pujara defended teammate Ravichandran Ashwin after a poor outing by the premier off-spinner left India facing a daunting task in the fourth Test against England, in Southampton, on Saturday.
Ravi Shastri didn't expect the orthodox Cheteshwar Pujara to try out an uncharacteristic ramp shot against Pat Cummins.
Star India batter Virat Kohli reached another landmark on day one of the first Test match against South Africa in Centurion on Tuesday to become the highest run-getter for India in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2019-2025.
'He is like a pillar and the whole team bats around him.' 'In today's world, everyone likes to play their strokes while Pujara is someone who will tire out the bowlers.' 'If you have one batsman who can play out the new ball or play out a spell from a good bowler, then it helps the whole team, it helps the other batsmen.'
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances