India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara is known for his ability to play long innings. Every India cricketing fans remember how he methodically tired out the Australian bowlers in the away Test series in 2018/19. But, the batsman has often found support from several members of his team from the other end. Speaking on Fever Network’s initiative ‘100 Hours 100 Stars’ video, Pujara talked about two of his most memorable innings, both of which came in the 2017 home Test series against Australia, which he remembers as the “most intense” series he has ever played.
“To single out my favourite batting partnership would be very difficult. But I would like to go with my partnership with Wriddhiman Saha at Ranchi in 2017. It was close to 200-run partnership, the team was in trouble. We lost about 5-6 wickets, when the scoreboard was somewhere 250. If we were bowled out for 300-350, we knew the Australians were very well prepared to score those runs,” he said.
“So, we had to put up a decent total, we had a good partnership, and our total was close to 500 at the end. That partnership was crucial for that series, because it was the most intense Test series I have played,” he added.
He also went on to talk about his partnership with Ajinkya Rahane which won India the 2nd Test in Bengaluru. “Another partnership I remember is my partnership with Ajinkya Rahane in the same series in the 2nd innings. It was a match-winning partnership,” he said.
“Our bowlers really bowled well in the 4th innings. In the first innings, we didn’t bat well. The Australians had a good lead over us. So, there was pressure on us to put up a decent total for them to chase. My partnership with Rahane was crucial in that game,” Pujara added.