Cricket News

‘If you get dropped, what do you do?’- Mohammed Kaif lauds Indian veteran for ‘setting an example’ for young players

Veteran Team India batter Cheteshwar Pujara had a rocky few months after he was dropped from the team for the Test series against Sri Lanka, earlier this year. The 34-year-old however soon made his comeback into the team for the rescheduled Test match against England.

The right-hand batter came into the team on the back of his performance in Country cricket as well as the domestic circuit. Former India player Mohammed Kaif is all praise for the Indian batter, saying that Pujara has set an example for young players as he still kept the hope for his comeback alive.

“You can learn so much from Pujara. If you get dropped, what do you have to do as a batter? You go back to County, you go back to Ranji and you score runs and runs and I mean, score tons and tons of runs. He has done that. He’s an example for any young player who has been dropped and how to make a comeback. Probably you should go back to Pujara and watch what he has done in the last couple of months. He has been a fantastic player for India also. And I think he’ll play No.3 for India,” said Kaif.

You need experience for Test cricket- Kaif

The former India player also suggested that age is not a drawback but an advantage for the player as they get experience from it.

“Age has nothing to do with cricket. It is a skill-based game. It’s not football, where you have to run up and down continuously during the match. In fact, age is a plus point. You learn with experience and improve. Pujara, Kohli and Rohit and prime examples. Test cricket is a skill-based format, you have to play for days and you need experience for that. You need players who can bat on turning, as well as seaming tracks, and you only get better with time. Pujara is a prime example,” he added.