"We don't know what's going on and we don't care" - Virat Kohli on "outside noise" regarding Cheteshwar Pujara's form

Team India captain Virat Kohli shrugged off the "outside noise" regarding the form of Cheteshwar Pujara in the lead-up to the Leeds Test, stating that the team management was content with the way the Indian no.3 was playing.

Pujara came into the Leeds Test on the back of an extended lean patch and the pressure intensified manifold when the gritty right-handed batsman was dismissed for a nine-ball 1 in the first innings. Pujara, however, redeemed himself with a fluent 91 (189) in the second essay and Kohli was full of praise for the 33-year-old.

Speaking about Pujara in the post-match presser, Virat Kohli said:

"We are very pleased with how Cheteshwar batted in this innings. Outside noise? We don't know what's going on and we don't care. It's none of our business. We know he was playing well and it's just a matter of time when he starts to find his rhythm again"

Cheteshwar Pujara's terrific 91 unbeaten on Day 3 highlights. pic.twitter.com/eSsi8bAcJx

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 28, 2021

After the highs at Lord's, Team India came crashing down at Headingley as England completely dominated the third Test to eventually notch up a commanding series-levelling win by an innings and 76 runs.

Virat Kohli termed India's performance in the third Test an aberration while asserting that the visitors had dominated the first couple of Tests. He added:

"This game has been kind of an aberration in how we have gone in this series. In the first two games, we put ourselves in positions, I mean we won one game and we had the opportunity to win the first one as well."

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Virat Kohli comments on Team India's middle-order woes

England thump India by an innings and 76 runs to level the 5-match series 1-1

The middle order has proved to be the Achilles heel for Team India in the ongoing series.

The opening duo of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul have more often than not provided the team with a good start, but the trio of Pujara, Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane haven't been able to cash in.

Rahane since 2020: 46, 29, 7, 9, 42, 0, 112, 27*, 22, 4, 37, 24, 1, 0, 67, 10, 7, 27, 49, 15, 5, 1, 61, 18, 10. #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/WUouB6kXz1

— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) August 28, 2021

When asked whether the middle order is letting the team down, Kohli said that the management analyzes the players on the basis of their contributions in building a good partnership or putting the team in a good position. He added that raw stats are never taken into consideration. Kohli explained:

"We analyze ourselves as a team in terms of what situation we are putting ourselves in, not with numbers. That all happens on the outside. Whether we are helping the team build partnerships and are putting the team in a good position is our only focus. And there is no connect between the focuses on the outside and the focusses between the team."

With England notching up an impressive series-levelling win in Leeds, the five-match rubber is now beautifully set up and the onus is on India to pick themselves up for the fourth Test, which will start at the Oval from September 02.