Cheteshwar Pujara might have endured a dismal time in the County Championship with Yorkshire but the India batsman remains confident in his preparation for the upcoming five-match Test series against England.
The 30-year-old’s second stint in England’s county cricket began on a poor note with the batsman being able to score only 172 runs in six first-class matches at an average of just 14.33. His white-ball showings for Yorkshire were much better though with the India man scoring a century among several other vital knocks in the Royal London One-Day Cup.
“As a batsman, you need a bit of luck especially at the start, which did not go my way. After a while, I started scoring runs in white-ball cricket,” Pujara stated in an interview with DNA.
Despite the low returns in red-ball cricket, the right-hander believes the county stint will do him a world of good in the Test series.
“It will definitely help. At the same time, when you are playing Test cricket, the bowlers are different, the pitches might be slightly different. The county experience will definitely help me in Tests,” he said.
The India man had the likes of Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow for company in the Yorkshire squad and he has revealed that he had been exchanging notes with the England Test skipper.
Pujara shared the dressing room with Joe Root at Yorkshire.
“When I talk to Joe Root, I talk about international experience, the opponents, the different teams he has played against, as a batsman, as a cricketer how someone prepares, the kind of life one lives,” said Pujara.
“You always discuss normal things, not always about cricket. I don’t think there is anything extra you need to know. There is enough footage. You know what their bowling strengths and weaknesses are,” he added.
Pujara’s overseas form has been nothing to write home about for some time now but the batsman believes that the Indian side has understood the importance of his role in the Test format.
“There is nothing to fear. With the way I have performed for the Indian team, the way I have contributed, I don’t think I need to fear about anything,” the Rajkot-born batsman remarked.
“The team has understood the importance of my role and my contribution for the team. When it comes to Tests, I have a role to play for the team. Everyone understands that. The most important thing is to perform for the Indian team, which I have been doing,” he continued.
Pujara and the England team will lock horns with England in the first Test which gets underway at Edgbaston on August 1.
