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Cheteshwar Pujara has opened up about the advice he gave to Rishabh Pant just before his dismissal in the Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) earlier this year. Pujara did not feel the need to talk to Pant about the way he was attacking the bowlers. However, he finally asked the Pant to be a bit more careful as he reached the 90’s.
Rishabh Pant was at his belligerent best on the day before getting out 97. He did not heed Pujara’s advice as he tried to whack Nathan Lyon only for the ball to find the eager hands of Pat Cummins.
Speaking on the BBC’s Test Match Special, Cheteshwar Pujara said that Rishabh Pant displayed some unbelievable strokeplay during the Test.
“I honestly didn’t think that he would be able to score at such a pace and the flow that he was getting on that particular day. I didn’t have to say anything to him because, naturally, he was hitting the ball out of the park. The only time when I talked to him was when he was in the 90s. I told him that you have to be a little careful and that’s when he got out.”
Chasing 407 runs in the fourth innings, India were 250/4 when Rishabh Pant lost his wicket. Cheteshwar Pujara followed him soon after. However, Hanuma Vihari and Ravichander Ashwin battled it out for 43 overs to save the game for India.
He knew that he can’t go for a draw. He had to go for a victory: Cheteshwar Pujara on Rishabh Pant’s heroics at the Gabba
Cheteshwar Pujara also revealed that he thought a draw would be a good result at the Gabba in the final Test of the series against Australia. The pitch was good for batting and India had every chance for a draw right from the outset.
The start that Shubman Gill gave the team at the top of the order and Pant’s heroics towards the end turned the tide around for India.
“The last Test match at the Gabba. I truly believed that it was a good pitch. So we could at least draw the game. The way Shubman started playing after lunch gave us a lot of confidence. And I also got a lot of confidence off it. I started playing a lot of shots in the second session. When Rishabh came in, we knew that he was in form. He knows his game, he knew that he can’t go for a draw, he had to go for a victory,” said Pujara.
India completed an improbable victory in the fourth and final Test. With the result at the Gabba, India completed just their second series win Down Under and retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
