India vs Australia 2023

Cheteshwar Pujara reveals who is the toughest bowler to face in cricket currently

Pujara has played 98 Tests and scored over 7,000 runs for India.

Jan 22, 2023 12:06 pm

Cheteshwar Pujara has been a consistent and dependable batter for India in Test cricket. He has primarily been regarded as a long-form player and has scored 7,014 runs in 98 Tests at an average of 44.39 and a strike rate of 44.44. He has scored 34 half-centuries and 19 centuries with the highest score of an unbeaten 206.

With Pujara, he is an outlier in the Indian team, where the batting lineup is filled with proactive stroke-makers. The Saurashtra batter provides a fine balance in the Test lineup with the ability to have a strong defence and to grind it out. This attribute of Pujara has saved the Indian Team from precarious situations in Test matches.

Pujara revealed who he considers as the toughest bowler in the current era of Test cricket. He picked Australia’s captain and pace spearhead, Pat Cummins. “Pat Cummins would be the toughest bowler to face in cricket currently,” Pujara said when he spoke on the question-and-answer segment with ESPNcricinfo.

Pujara gearing up for upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Cummins is at the top of the charts in Test cricket. The two will reignite their rivalry in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy in the four-match Test series which will be played in India. Pujara has scored 172 runs in 17 innings in the five-day format against Cummins. He has been dismissed seven times by the right-arm pacer.

The 34-year-old has scored 18,121 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 55.22 with 55 hundreds and 71 fifties. He has scored three triple-centuries in first-class cricket. He also became the second Indian batter to complete 12000 first-class runs on home soil. He reached the milestone when he scored a gritty 91 for Saurashtra against Andhra in the Ranji Trophy. The knock went in vain as Andhra claimed a 150-run victory.

India will be banking on solid performances from Pujara with the bat in the Border Gavaskar Trophy at home. The Last time these two sides played for the trophy in 2016-17 in India, India won the series 2-1. Pujara will be hoping to repeat his performances in 2018 and 2021 to help India win the series.