Cheteshwar Pujara’s batting has been one of the topics of discussion in the recent past. The India No 3 has drawn flak in the past as well for his scoring rate, with many arguing that his approach puts pressure on his partners and hands momentum to the opposition.
Former West Indies skipper and legendary batsman Brian Lara, too, has criticized Pujara for batting too slowly.
Discussing Cheteshwar Pujara’s strike rate in Test cricket, batting legend Brian Lara on ‘Follow The Blues’ exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar, said: “Pujara, definitely for me, I mean as a batsman, I am not the same as a player, that ability to be so patient and score at such a low strike rate.
“So, for me, if I was a coach or if I was someone that wanted Pujara to improve, I would try to create a lot more shots and try to score a strike rate that is more beneficial to him and the team.”
However, the 30-year-old, after India’s historic series win in Australia, earlier this year said: “Strike rate talk are overrated. There are times when balls faced matter a lot more than runs scored.”
Brian Lara does believe that Pujara’s approach has helped India in the past and there is a reason why he is Virat Kohli’s team’s Test batting mainstay.
“He does the job, and I know the job he does, but I just feel that when you bat that slowly, there are a lot of momentum swings in your innings and you allow the bowlers so many deliveries at yourself, even before you get to three figures that you are going to find yourself coming up short a lot of times,” said Lara.
The third Test of the five-match series between India and England is beginning Wednesday at Headingley in Leeds.
