"Instrumental in helping Virat Kohli make a lot of his runs" - Indian legend's massive claim on Cheteshwar Pujara after latter announces retirement

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin opined that Cheteshwar Pujara's grit and ability at the No.3 position shielded Virat Kohli at times, as he had to tackle some testing conditions at its worst. The veteran batter recently announced his retirement from Indian cricket, ending his career after 104 Test and five ODI appearances.

Ashwin cited Pujara's heroic innings on a dangerous Wanderers track during the third Test against South Africa in 2018 as an example, where India profited from the No.3 batter's tenacity. He scored a hard-fought fifty in the first innings, where he faced 179 deliveries, out of which the first 53 were dot balls. He finally got off the mark in the 54th delivery, as the potent South African pace trio of Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, and Vernon Philander made life difficult.

Pujara and Kohli's fifties helped India post 187 in the first innings as South Africa replied back with 194. The pitch continued to flare up, showcasing erratic bounce and seam movement, causing batters to cop several blows, even bringing the match officials into play after a certain stage.

"Pujara's contribution at No.3, if you agree or don't, was instrumental in helping Virat Kohli also make a lot of his runs, and I have one such case as an example. In the final Test against South Africa at the Wanderers, where the pitch was deemed too dangerous at one stage, Pujara played 53 balls before he got off the mark. A thankless job a really, really, spiteful Wanderers pitch, the ball was going all over the place," Ashwin said in a tribute video for Pujara on his YouTube channel.

The right-handed batter was dismissed for just 1 in the second innings, but India were able to post a 241-run target for the hosts. Mohammed Shami picked up a five-wicket haul to bowl out the Proteas for 177, and record a consolation win on the tour.

"That has to be featured with music and all that" - R Ashwin demands Cheteshwar Pujara's defence edits on social media

R Ashwin highlighted how social media is rife with edits of star players' signature shots, while Pujara's hard work is not appreciated on such platforms, despite the sheer elegance with which he used to play.

"Pujara is one such guy, when he bats it looks like a symphony. You may see reels on Instagram, edits like Virat's cover drive, Rohit Sharma's pull shot, MS Dhoni's Helicopter Shot, but Pujara's defence, even that has to be featured with music and all that," Ashwin said.

"He is a Test legend, absolute massive legend of Indian cricket, his contribution is no less than anyone else. I would put my head on the block, his contribution is not less than anyone else, whether it be Virat, or Rohit, or anybody," he added.

He was initially slated to play in the upcoming Indian domestic season, but chose to retire instead, paving the way for the emerging players.