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Former Test batter Aakash Chopra has described James Anderson’s delivery to get rid of Cheteshwar Pujara on Day 2 in Nottingham as a ‘very good’ one. He, however, pointed out that the India No. 3 seems to be getting too many of such seemingly ‘unplayable’ balls.
Pujara’s poor run in Test cricket continued as he was dismissed for 4 off 16 balls. A superb delivery from Anderson pitched around off-stump and then moved away, taking the edge of Pujara’s bat.
Reflecting on the struggling Indian batter’s wicket, Chopra opined that Pujara must figure out whether he is genuinely unlucky or if he is allowing the bowlers to come up with such unplayable deliveries. Chopra explained:
“James Anderson sent back Cheteshwar Pujara with a very good delivery. There is no shame in getting out to good deliveries but the problem here is that Pujara is getting too many of them. That is something that will be playing on his mind. Questions like - why is this happening with me? Am I allowing the good balls to happen or is there something like I am just unfortunate? That is the question that Pujara has to answer.”
Pujara’s dismissal was followed by that of Indian captain Virat Kohli very next ball. Analyzing Kohli’s dismissal, Chopra pointed out that the Indian skipper had been leaving balls outside the off-stump in 2018 but this time fell into the trap of 2014, when Anderson had the wood on him. The former India opener elaborated:
“In 2018, Virat Kohli was not dismissed by Anderson even once. He was leaving balls outside the off-stump but this time he nicked the first delivery behind the stumps to make it two wickets in two balls for Anderson. The wickets of Pujara and Kohli changed the game completely. Both wicket-taking balls were really good. But the ball that got Kohli out was a regulation Test match delivery.”
Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli’s waning numbers since start of 2020
Pujara and Kohli’s constant failures are a definite cause of worry for India now.
Since the start of 2020, Pujara has featured in 12 Tests (including the ongoing Nottingham Test) and has only managed 531 runs at an average of under 26. In the same period, Kohli has scored just 345 runs in nine Tests at an average of 23.
While Pujara’s last Test hundred came in January 2019 in Sydney, Kohli last reached three-figures in the same year in November, during the Day-Night Test in Kolkata against Bangladesh.
