Former Australia captain Tim Paine recently recalled Cheteshwar Pujara’s resilience in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21. Notably, India managed to beat Australia by 2-1 with a depleted squad with several players missing due to injuries during the four-match affair. Pujara was the second-highest run scorer for India with 271 runs to his name from four matches at an average of 33.87 with three half-centuries to his name.
The India star stood like a rock at the crease for his team as he faced a whopping 928 deliveries and batted at a strike rate of 29.20. Recalling Pujara’s heroics from the India’s historic win, Paine said that he doesn’t get his due credit. He also hailed the India batter for wearing the Australian bowlers down and taking blows on his body.
“What I do remember, a lot of people talk about Rishabh Pant in the last series in Australia, but the guy who won them the series was Pujara. He wore us down, he wore our fast bowlers down. He kept getting hit on the body, but he kept getting up. There is still place for that in Test cricket,” said Tim Paine on The Grade Cricketer Podcast.
Pujara was also the top performer for India during their maiden series win in Australia in 2018-19 as he was adjudged Player of the series in India’s 2-1 victory. He finished as the highest run scorer of the series with 521 runs to his name from seven innings at an average of 74.42 with three hundreds and one fifty.
He has a magnificent record in Australia having scored 993 runs from 11 matches at an average of 47.28 with three hundreds and five fifties to his name. He stood tall on the final day of the famous fourth Test of the 2020-21 series at the Gabba, Brisbane as his knock of 56 (211) did a phenomenal job of tiring out the Australian bowlers. As a result, India managed to breach the Gabba fortress by chasing down the target of 329 and won the series 2-1.
Shami is going to be a huge difference: Tim Paine
Further speaking ahead, Paine also mentioned that the absence of senior fast bowler Mohammed Shami will be a huge worrying factor for India as all the pressure will fall on Jasprit Bumrah’s shoulders.
“Shami is going to be a huge difference, Bumrah, there is so much on his shoulders. If he gets hurt, then it’s curtains for me,” he added.
