"This guy wanted me to be dropped" - Cheteshwar Pujara's wife reveals shocking details from 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Team India batter Cheteshwar Pujara's wife, Puja Pujara, made a stunning revelation about an incident following the 2018-19 Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) in her book 'The Diary of a Cricketer's Wife'. She mentioned how Pujara overheard a conversation during the 2018-19 Australian tour about his potential dropping from the 11 for the third Test at Melbourne.

The veteran batter was dealing with a hamstring injury, leading to conversations about his exclusion from the Melbourne Test.

Incidentally, Pujara told his wife about this when she read a birthday wish from someone involved with the Indian team after the Australian tour.

The lines from her book read (Via Hindustan Times):

"Cheteshwar made the most of his three-day break and did not step out of his room much. He alternated between resting his afflicted limb and getting his strained hamstring treated. On the lone occasion when he did, he overheard someone engaged in an intense conversation on the telephone, stating that he did not want my husband to play in the coming match because he was unfit."

She continued:

"I only learnt of the incident accidentally on Cheteshwar’s birthday after the tour was over. I scrolled through our social media pages reading out birthday greetings. One message posted on Instagram was particularly effusive and touching. I read it out aloud to Cheteshwar, remarking, ‘Such a sweet gesture—what a lovely message!’ He did not say a word."

"What’s wrong,’ I asked. ‘Nothing,’ he said, at his taciturn best. He tried to fend me off, but I finally wore him down. ‘This guy you’re praising,’ commented Cheteshwar laconically, ‘wanted me to be dropped from the team because of fitness issues.’ I gaped at him."

Ironically, Pujara played all four Tests of the 2018-19 tour of Australia despite the above-mentioned injury issues.

Cheteshwar Pujara was Player of the Series in BGT 2018-19

Australia had no answers for Pujara throughout the home series in 2018-19 [Credit: Getty]

Cheteshwar Pujara starred with the bat in one of India's most impressive away Test series victories in the 2018-19 BGT. The 37-year-old started the tour with 123 and 71 in the two innings in the opening Test at Adelaide.

Pujara missed out on scoring big in India's lone loss in the second Test at Perth. However, he rebounded with a 106 and 193 in the first innings of the final two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney, helping India win the series 2-1.

It was India's first-ever Test series win in Australia, and Pujara was named the Player of the Series for his 521 runs at an average of almost 75, including three centuries.