Ian Chappell has said that he enjoyed India’s batting against spin in the Kanpur Test and held out special praise for Cheteshwar Pujara.
In a column for ESPN Cricinfo, the former Australian captain said: “It was a distinct pleasure to watch India bat in the first Test against New Zealand. It was good to see spin bowling played so well.
“I especially enjoyed the play of Cheteshwar Pujara. I love the way he quickly gets back to either play a forcing shot through the covers or a pull to the mid-wicket boundary.”
Pujara scored half-centuries in both innings as India went on to win the match by 197 runs. While the Saurashtra batsman has struggled outside Asia, he has 1857 runs at an outstanding average of 66.32 in 20 Tests in the sub-continent.
“Many batsmen limit themselves by “closing off” when they play the pull shot, but Pujara opens up, thrusting his left leg towards the square-leg umpire, and creates a wider arc in which to place the ball,” Chappell added.
Pujara and Jadeja are very different players in home conditions, and that's not to be scoffed at
— Sambit Bal (@sambitbal) September 24, 2016
Chappell was also impressed by Indian opener Murali Vijay for his ability to handle pace and spin equally well. The 73-year-old mentioned that Pujara and Vijay, along with captain Virat Kohli, are the leading players of spin bowling in the Indian batting line-up.
“He (Pujara) was well supported by Vijay, a dangerous opponent because he handles the new ball competently and can extend his innings by playing spin bowling well. This pair and Virat Kohli give India a trifecta of batsmen who can dictate terms to opposition spinners,” Chappell said.
