Aakash Chopra has praised Cheteshwar Pujara for proving once again that Team India requirement to stick with him as they need a performer like him for Test cricket.
Pujara secured an enterprising victorious 102 off 130 balls in India’s 2nd innings of the first Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram on Friday, December 16. His knock, coupled with a century by Shubman Gill, supported KL Rahul and Co. set a daunting 513-run 4th-innings target for the hosts.
While considering the 3rd day’s play in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Chopra was glorified for Pujara, saying:
“Cheteshwar Pujara said once again that he is still there. He asked you to stick with him till the time he is there because you need a player like him in Test cricket. He won the hearts because he scored a Test century after 52 innings. He scored 90 quite a few times but here he crossed the three-figure mark.”
The former Indian cricketer picked the Saurashtra batter as his Player of the Day, He said:
“Cheteshwar Pujara was the Player of the Day, 102 not out off 130 balls. Everyone sees him and says that he plays extremely slowly and that he keeps on defending. He has played defensively for the team many times, left a lot of balls, and also taken blows to his chest, but has stood there.”
Chopra further said that Pujara showed another aspect of his game with his attacking knock on Friday, stating:
“He struck quite a few half-centuries in the last three years but now that century has also come. So he can bat like this also, and he can play the reserve sweeps as well. In fact, I remember another century of his on the Indore ground against New Zealand. There also he batted extremely beautifully in the second innings.”
Pujara’s 102-run knock once again in Bangladesh was his quick century in Test cricket. He struck 13 fours throughout his innings and strung together a 113-run partnership with Gill for the 2nd wicket.
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