"Australian bowlers were far better, and he couldn't deliver" - Danish Kaneria on Cheteshwar Pujara's County stint 

Danish Kaneria has pointed out how India's Cheteshwar Pujara failed to score substantially in the World Test Championship (WTC 2023) final against Australia despite his impressive run in the County Championship (Division Two).

The former Pakistan spinner noted that Pujara played in similar conditions and wickets for a couple of months prior to the summit clash. Kaneria opined that the veteran batter scored big runs against "weak" bowlers in the competition, but wasn't able to step up against a strong Aussie bowling lineup.

Here's what Kaneria said on Pujara's underwhelming showings on his YouTube channel:

"Cheteshwar Pujara played County cricket for over two months ahead of the WTC final. Interestingly, he played in the same County. Despite playing for Sussex, he was't able to manage it. This indicates that the bowlers in County cricket were weak, and he got runs.

"The Australian bowlers were far better, and he couldn't deliver against them. He played and practiced on the kind of wicket for a couple of months and was well aware of the conditions, but still, he was unable to play a top-notch innings."

Pujara was expected to be one of India's best bets in the WTC 2023 final, considering the tremendous form he showcased for Sussex. The right-handed batter mustered 1094 runs from 13 innings at an average of 109.40.

However, he performed underwhelmingly in the WTC 2023 final, finishing with scores of 14 and 27 in the all-important fixture.

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Cheteshwar Pujara was criticized by many for his shot selection in WTC 2023 final

Cheteshwar Pujara's dismissals in the WTC 2023 final surprised a number of fans, as he wasn't expected to throw his wicket away in such a manner.

The right-handed batter perished while shouldering arms against Cameron Green. He misjudged the ball, perhaps underestimating the swing. The ball nipped backed in and ultimately crashed onto the stumps.

In the crucial fourth innings of the contest, the seasoned campaigner was out while trying to ramp a short pitch delivery over the keeper off Pat Cummins' bowling. He failed to get the desired connection, only managing a faint edge that went straight to Alex Carey.