Former Australian captain Tim Paine recently opened up on Cheteshwar Pujara's crucial role in India's memorable 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory. He pointed out that the Indian stalwart's contribution outbalanced Rishabh Pant's performances.
In the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, after suffering a humiliating defeat in Adelaide, India, without regular captain Virat Kohli and several key players, made a remarkable comeback to clinch the series 2-1.
While Pant's aggressive batting, particularly his unbeaten 89 in the historic Gabba chase became the topic of discussion, but Paine believes the true architect of India's victory operated more quietly, that is pro batter Cheteshwar Pujara.
"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 a place for that in Test cricket," said Paine on The Grade Cricketer podcast.
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Shami is going to be a huge difference: Tim Paine
While Pant scored 274 runs at an average of 68.50, Pujara's contribution was equally significant, facing 928 deliveries throughout the series. His best came out in the final two Tests. At Sydney, while Pant's aggressive 97 drew headlines, Pujara's patient 205-ball 77 was the foundation. Similarly, in the Brisbane decider, he played a 211-ball 56 followed by Pant's match-winning heroics.
Pujara's approach was applauded, as he put his body on the line and patiently went through his innings. Looking ahead to the 2024–25 series, Paine also mentioned the concerns about India's bowling resources, particularly Mohammed Shami's absence due to injury.
"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," Paine concluded.
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