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Team India's Test No.3 Cheteshwar Pujara took to his Twitter account a few hours after the 5th Test was called off to express his thoughts on the series gone by and the upcoming assignments.
Pujara termed the sequence of events that led to the premature end of what was a fascinating series as 'unfortunate'. He also expressed his sympathy with the fans who had traveled to Manchester for the fifth Test.
He wrote:
"Unfortunate end to what has been a wonderful series. Feel for the fans who had travelled to Manchester."
India ended the series with a 2-1 lead after four completed games and according to Pujara, the tourists can be incredibly proud of their performance. He added that the grueling English summer provided a lot of learning and the cricketer is looking forward to the IPL.
"Been a memorable tour - lot of learnings & a performance the group can be really proud off! 🇮🇳 Look forward to getting into the yellow gear :) #IndVsEng #Tourdiaries #CSK "
The fifth Test between England and India was canceled on the morning of the game due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the Indian camp.
Cheteshwar Pujara finishes the England Test series as India's 3rd highest run-getter
The England tour proved to be a mixed bag for Pujara. The No.3 batsman struggled for the best part of it in seamer-friendly conditions but found some rhythm during the later stages of the five-match Test series.
He scored a patient 206-ball 45 during the second inning of the 2nd Test at Lord’s. His 100-run partnership with vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane on the 4th day ultimately paved the way for the final assault the tourists unleashed on England in an astonishing passage of play on the final day.
Pujara struggled for runs in the first innings of the next two Tests as James Anderson continued to challenge his outside edge with masterful set-ups.
However, the Saurashtra cricketer bounced back in the 2nd essay in each of those Test matches. Unlike his second innings knock at Lord’s, where he took close to 40 deliveries to get off the mark, Pujara looked at his fluent best in Leeds and the Oval.
His 91 in the second innings at the Oval was full of cuts, flicks, pulls, straight drives and even upper-cuts as he frequently outscored the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli during partnerships.
The Indian batsman was once again at his best in the second innings of the Oval Test as he scored a fluent 127-ball 61 despite having sprained his ankle.
His 153-run-stand with Rohit Sharma ultimately proved to be the cornerstone of India’s revival in the Test match. The tourists buried England under a mountain of runs to eventually take a 2-1 lead courtesy a heroic bowling display on the final day.
Pujara eventually finished the series as the 4th highest run-getter with 227 runs in 8 innings at an average of 32.43 with two 50-plus scores.
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