Virat Kohli and Pujara in Test cricket (Source: AFP)
Cheteshwar Pujara announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Sunday, August 24. It has brought an end to the illustrious Test career as Pujara was one of the most dependable assets for India in the longest format.
Thus, since the announcement, there have been numerous tributes pouring in from all corners, and many consider it the end of an era in Indian cricket. Now, Cheteshwar Pujara, in an exclusive interview with NDTV, has opened up on different phases of his career and his future plans.
Pujara Reveals Importance Of Backing One's Strength At International Level
The former Indian number 3 was known for his stoic presence on the field and was not as aggressive as some of his teammates. It sometimes brought pressure on him, and even Virat Kohli once openly commented that he doesn't want a player to go into his shell, indirectly targeting Pujara's low strike-rate.
Now, Cheteshwar Pujara has opened up on the pressure of strike-rate from the duo of Kohli and Shastri during their captaincy-coaching tenure and his overall relationship with them.
Pujara stated that every person has different strengths, and one has to stick with their strength; otherwise, things can get difficult at the international level. He added that his strength was to defend the ball and play to the merit of the ball.
"Well, as I was mentioning earlier, one has to stick to their strength, and that's what I did in my cricketing journey. My strength was to defend the ball well, try to play according to the merit of the ball, and also understand different phases of the game. Based on that, whatever is best for the team, that's what you try to do. Over a period of time, people understood what my strength was. Early in my career, people sometimes thought, "This guy can play very aggressively, but he's not playing," but I didn't have that strength," Pujara said in an interview to NDTV.
Pujara Sets Aside Strike-Rate Issues With Captain Virat Kohli
The former Indian number three mentioned that people first thought that he could play aggressively, but he is not playing deliberately. However, he revealed that people initially did not understand his strength, but eventually, both Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri accepted it and respected his style of play. He completed his argument that as long as a cricketer is doing the right things for his team, he should not worry about anything else.
"Over a period of time, whether it was Ravi Bhai, Virat, or anyone else, they understood that my strength was slightly different, and then they respected that. That's why one can be successful at the highest level. If you don't play according to your strength, you can't be successful. And as long as you are doing the right thing for the team, you don't need to worry about anything else".
Thus, Pujara has cleared that he had no differences with Virat Kohli, and it was just a phase where his captain was understanding his game. Overall, Pujara has been a great servant of Indian cricket and has carried forward the legacy of Rahul Dravid with great distinction.
