Who could forget the valuable contributions of Cheteshwar Pujara in the last two Australia tours? His determination and grit have frustrated the bowlers on several occasions. Moreover, the right-hand batter has been a crucial cog for India when it comes to Test cricket. However, he has been under the scanner for his unsatisfactory output with the bat hand for the last few months.
Pujara had a tough Test series against New Zealand at home and then, began the South Africa tour with a golden duck. The critics were after him with all guns blazing until he smashed a terrific half-century in the second innings of the Johannesburg Test. Though India lost the game by 7 wickets, his century partnership with Ajinkya Rahane, who also got a fifty, was commendable.
India vs South Africa: Full Coverage | Photos | Schedule | Results
Former India captain and batting great lauded Pujara for his changed approach, stating that the batsman reminds him of former South Africa batsman Hashim Amla.
In a conversation with SuperSport, Gavaskar said, “When I look at him, he reminds me of Hashim. Watching Hashim bat, you know there’s a sense of calm that everything is under control. The ball could be doing things but there was that sense because even on pitches where the ball was turning, the way Hashim was batting in India, it was almost as if, ‘look, nothing’s happening’, and that’s the same thing with Cheteshwar Pujara.”
The cricketer-turned-commentator further opined that player with Pujara’s temperament is ‘terrific’ for the Indian dressing room.
ALSO READ | Ashes 2021-22: ‘It Was Bad-Mouthing; It Was Not Needed’-Jonny Bairstow Responds to Fan Hooting at SCG
“It is a great, great blessing to have players of this temperament in your dressing room. (It may not be) necessarily just on the field but it’s a huge plus and I think having somebody with Cheteshwar Puajra’s temperament in the changing room must be absolutely terrific because in international cricket, there are several moments of tension where people would want to do this or that or the other. When you have somebody who’s going to think about it calmly and give you a measured opinion it makes a big difference,” said Gavaskar.
Pujara scored 53 off 86 deliveries, forging a 113-runs stand with Rahane for the third wicket. He slammed 10 boundaries during his stint at the crease.
Get all the IPL news and Cricket Score here
.