Cheteshwar Pujara feels competition for places will help India set higher standards

With India gearing up to kick start an eagerly awaited home season, the focus will be firmly on their team combination with quite a few personnel vying for spots in the playing eleven.

However, Cheteshwar Pujara has played down the intense competition in the batting lineup and has said that the competition could only help them get better.

In an interview with bcci.tv, the 28-year old hoped to carry on his impressive run from the recently completed Duleep Trophy, when the 3-Test series against New Zealand begins at Kanpur on the 22^nd.

Speaking about KL Rahul’s arrival as a reliable batsman at the top of the order, Pujara said, “I feel it is good for Indian cricket. There has to be some competition in the team to reach higher standards. We are raising the bar all the time. Rahul is a very good batsman and a dear friend of mine. I feel as a cricketer, you should always wish well for your teammates. I believe if other players are succeeding, you can go and talk to them and share your experience and at the same time learn from them.”

Even though he fell out of favour with the think tank during the latter part of the West Indies series, the right-hander has been backed by coach Anil Kumble to come good on the rapidly turning tracks at home.

He admitted, “I feel I was batting well in West indies as well, especially in the second game where I scored 46 runs and got run out the moment I was about to accelerate. I did get disappointed but I never let my confidence down. I knew it was just a matter of time. I am in a positive frame of mind after the Duleep Trophy. Those runs will definitely help me in the upcoming series against New Zealand. I don’t think I need to worry much about my batting now. I just need to stay focussed.”

Pujara made merry in the Duleep Trophy at Greater Noida with scores of 166, 31 and an unbeaten 256 for India ‘Blue’ who ended up lifting the trophy. On difficult pitches, his capacity to play long innings may turn out to be invaluable for the hosts.

When asked about the difference between playing under MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, the Saurashtra batsman said, “One thing that is common between Dhoni and Kohli as captains is that at the end of the day they want the team to win. The dressing room under both captains has a very good environment.”

“Virat is very straightforward. He leads by example and sets the bar high for all the other players to follow. The team looks up to him and there will be individuals saying - I want to achieve this landmark.”