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'This Time We Will Cross The Line' - Pujara Optimistic About India’s WTC Chances

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India’s star batter Cheteshwar Pujara has expressed optimism about India's chances in the upcoming World Test Championship final, scheduled to begin on June 7 at the Oval in London. The Saurashtra batter attributed his hopefulness to the team's meticulous preparations ahead of the much-anticipated clash against Australia. 

This marks India's second consecutive appearance in the World Test Championship Final, highlighting their dominance in the longest format of the game.

Notably, India's journey in the first edition of the WTC Final concluded with a gut-wrenching defeat in the final to New Zealand at Southampton.

Several Indian players, including former India captain Virat Kohli, Pujara, Shardul Thakur, and Mohammed Siraj, departed for England prior to the IPL 2023 playoffs after their tournament campaign came to an end. 

Meanwhile, the likes of Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Shubman Gill, and Mohammed Shami, joined the team a week early after featuring in the T20 tournament finale fixture. 

While his counterparts were engrossed in the Indian Premier League 2023, Cheteshwar Pujara opted to participate in a county championship in England, where he led Sussex. 

Playing alongside the likes of Steve Smith, Pujara amassed 545 runs in six County Championship Division 2 appearances with the three centuries to his name. 

In a conversation with the ICC, Pujara expressed confidence in the Indian batters' handling of English conditions. It's worth mentioning that experienced players like Kohli, Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane have previously played in the UK three or four times during their careers.


Here’s what Cheteshwar Pujara told the ICC: 

"We have had very good preparation so hopefully this time we will cross the line. Most of the guys have played enough cricket here and some of them have played County cricket too. You need that experience...we know each other's strengths and we have played a lot of cricket against Australia as well so we know what to expect from the opposition team."

Virat Kohli has been in brilliant form lately. He wrapped up the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season as the second-highest run-getter for Royal Challengers Bangalore.  

Leading up to the high-stakes encounter at the Oval, he will be a key figure in India's batting lineup, along with Shubman Gill, captain Rohit Sharma, and Cheteshwar Pujara.