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Will shave half of moustache if Pujara hits England spinners over the top: R Ashwin

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India’s Cheteshwar Pujara has never taken the bait by an off-spinner in tests and resisted the temptation of hitting over the top, but now he has been challenged by one of his teammates. Will he take it?

In a conversation with India batting coach Vikram Rathour, Ashwin threw an open challenge that if the right-hander who does not have the habit of taking the aerial route against spinners attacks English spinners over the top in the upcoming series, he will come to play the game next day but only after shaving off half of his moustache.

The challenge came Pujara’s way when Ashwin inquired about Pujara’s approach and why does not he consider the option of putting spinners off their lengths to Rathour, to which the coach said the right-hander has not agreed to this plan for a long time and he argues with valid reasons against the move.

"If he goes over the top against Moeen Ali or any other spinner stepping down the wicket in this English series that we gonna play, I will take half my moustache out and come to play the game. This is an open challenge," Ashwin put forward his bait.

Pujara has been known for his discipline while at the crease and the right-hander does not seem to lose his concentration and go for big shots. He has scored three of his slowest half-centuries in Tests one after the other in the Test series against Australia.

His teammates and batsmen batting around him all love to go over the top against spinners in Tests, but Pujara keeps batting on his merry way in whites and allows his teammates to reap the benefits of his presence at the batting crease.

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