Australia’s captain Pat Cummins spoke highly of Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara who has recently been out of favor. Cummins, who helped break Australia’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series loss streak, acknowledged Pujara’s resilience and impact during previous encounters.
In an interview with TOI Cummins praised both Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane for their resilience even when they didn’t seem threatening at first. “They (Rahane and Pujara) both scored some really important innings,” Cummins said.
He also reflected on his battles with Pujara, stating, “It was always great playing against Pujara. He was one of those guys who never really felt like he was getting away from you. But then he would bat, and bat, and bat.”
Pujara played a key role in India’s series victory in Australia, especially after Virat Kohli left for personal reasons. Despite physical pain, Pujara stuck to his defensive game and wore down the Australian bowlers.
Cummins shared his respect for the contest saying, “I always really enjoyed the contest against him. Some days he won, other days I won. So, it’s going to feel a bit different without him.”
On the Indian side, there have been injury concerns ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with KL Rahul receiving a blow during match simulations in Perth.
Shubman Gill is also likely to miss the first Test due to a fractured thumb. In Gill’s absence Rahul may bat at number 3 or India could bring in a replacement from the A squad.
Cummins has been effective against India taking 50 wickets in 13 Tests at an average of 26.18, including a five-wicket haul. He has also contributed with the bat, scoring 311 runs from 22 innings against India, including a half-century.
Recently Cummins faced some criticism for being rested during the third and final ODI against Pakistan, which ended Australia’s 22-year-long series victory drought.
