Since January 1, 2012, no batsman has scored more Test runs (2179 in 24 Tests) than Cheteshwar Pujara on Indian soil. He has also scored the most number of hundreds (8) and has the best batting average (64.08) in this time period.
In the recently-concluded Test series against England, he emerged as the 2nd highest run-scorer (401) from the Indian side and in the process, cracked 2 tons. In a tete-a-tete with Sportskeeda, he opened up about a range of subjects; from injecting positive intent into his batting to his spectacular form.
Here are a few excerpts from the interview.
In the first two Tests against New Zealand (Kanpur and Kolkata), you scored three fifties but were unable to convert them into hundreds. Was there a sense of frustration, especially because you're known to score big hundreds?
I was batting really well and feeling confident at the crease. The important thing is that those fifties came at a crucial time and we won both those Tests. At times, even fifties are pivotal to a team's cause.
But yes, I surely wanted to score big tons. I was not desperate or frustrated as I knew that it was just a matter of time before I crack a ton. And that's what happened in the 3rd Test (vs NZ) at Indore where I scored an unbeaten 101.
You went on to score two more hundreds against England at Rajkot and Vizag to make it three Test tons on the trot. What did you do differently?
I didn't do anything differently. As I said, I was batting quite well and was at ease. I reminded myself that I had done it in the past and there's no reason, why I could not do it again. There wasn't any pressure on me.
How was it scoring a Test hundred in your hometown, Rajkot?
Oh, it was extremely exciting and satisfying. You know there were hordes of friends and relatives who came to the stadium to watch me bat. Everyone - from family members to the local population - wanted me to score a hundred. This is a place where I grew up and learned the ropes of cricket. I was euphoric that I could score a hundred in my hometown.
England are the only team to beat India at home in a Test series in this decade. Was revenge for 2012 on your mind at all?
You don't really think about such stuff when playing international cricket. The whole team was just determined to play excellent cricket and win the series. That's about it. On a personal level, I knew that I had a terrific series against England back in 2012 as I thumped a double-ton and a ton. That gave me the confidence and belief to emulate my 2012 showing.
Unlike 2012, England did not have a potent bowling attack this time around. Alastair Cook even called his current spinners 'mediocre'. Your thoughts?
I think they did not have the experience of bowling on Indian pitches. I would call them inexperienced, not mediocre. Don't forget they also had James Anderson and Stuart Broad this time who did well here in 2012. Overall, I reckon this time, too, England had a decent bowling attack.
In the series against New Zealand and England, there were no rank turners. Does that make the victories even more significant and satisfying?
As an international team, you cannot crib about the nature of the pitches. A world-class team must have the wherewithal to win on all kinds of pitches. Our unstinted endeavour is to be able to win on all sorts of surfaces.
What's your take on R Ashwin and Virat Kohli – the two biggest match-winners in the team?
Both are outstanding cricketers and have been performing consistently. It is great to have them on the team. Virat is a brilliant captain and streamlines his resources astutely to maximise their potential.
There was a lot of talk about your strike-rate (SR) after the series in West Indies. Virat Kohli said that you needed to expedite your SR while the coach Anil Kumble said that there was nothing wrong with it. What's the truth?
Both Virat and Anil had a chat with me. It was more about batting with positive intent than just the strike rate. I inculcated that positive intent in my batting and reaped rich dividends. In all the 3 tons I scored against NZ and England, my strike-rate was around 60. In the ton at Indore, it was around 70. That shows how much that intent helped me.
Anil told me that I've been scoring huge hundreds and dominating bowlers in domestic cricket for so long and there's no reason why I couldn't replicate that in the international arena. That pep talk from him surely helped.
You have scored the most number of Test runs and tons on Indian soil in the last five years. What makes you such a splendid batsman at home?
I think it's the experience of playing a lot of domestic cricket that comes in handy. You get the understanding and experience of playing on different tracks in the country and get acclimatised. I didn't know about the record that you've just mentioned but it feels nice to have done so well for my team.
I admit that I failed to perform as per expectations in England and Australia, but I did quite well in South Africa and Sri Lanka so it's wrong to say or assume that I totally flopped in overseas conditions.
India's next big home series is against Australia. What is your take on the current Australia team? Any specific preparations for that series on your part?
I think Australia is a very good side. They're always competitive and combative. I would just look to play my natural game and carry forward my good form. I do have some particular plans on how to tackle their bowling. Hopefully, I shall succeed.
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