NEW DELHI: Australian captain Pat Cummins on Tuesday acknowledged the absence of India’s batting stalwart Cheteshwar Pujara from the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, calling it a ‘shame’ that the dependable No. 3 won’t be part of the series.
Pujara, known for his resilience and grit, has often been a thorn in Australia’s side. However, Cummins believes India will find a suitable replacement who plays in a similar style, ensuring their batting strength remains intact.
Cummins described the experience of bowling to Pujara as ‘real Test cricket‘ acknowledging the challenge posed by the Indian player’s unwavering focus and solid defensive technique.
Pujara’s tenacious batting performances were instrumental in India’s successful overseas campaigns in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
His ability to occupy the crease for extended periods and wear down the opposition bowlers played a crucial role in setting the stage for India’s victories in those series.
“It was always great playing (against) Pujara. He was one of those guys who never really felt like he was getting away from you. But then he would (just) bat, bat, bat and bat,” Cummins on the Star Sports Press Room.
“I really enjoyed the contest against him. Some days he won, other days I won. It’s going to have a bit of a different feel without him. Pujara is a great player.”
“(I) had lots of battles against him over the years. I quite enjoyed them, to be honest. It was real Test cricket. He might score runs, but you always feel like you’re in for a chance.”
Cummins described the experience as a test of resilience, where both competitors strived to outdo one another in terms of longevity on the pitch.
“It comes down to who wants to outlast each other, which I quite like that aspect of Test cricket. It’s going to be a shame that he is not there, but I’m sure they’ll pick someone else who’s in a similar kind of style,” he said.
Cummins expressed his belief that the cricketing rivalry between India and Australia will now be on par with the Ashes series, considering the fact that future contests between the two nations will feature five Test matches.
“I do think it is,” said Cummins when asked if India-Australia rivalry matched that of the Ashes.
“Particularly, after the Indian team won the last couple of series at (our) home. We’ve had more success against England over the past decade. I think it’s right up there,” he said.
“You know when you play against India, you’ve got a few Indian fans that are watching. It’s a slightly different rivalry to England-Australia rivalry. But again, now having a five-Test match series, it does mirror the Ashes series very closely,” he said.
Cummins remarked that India’s reputation has been strengthened by their ability to win matches away from home.
“Winning (in) Test cricket away from home is as tough as it gets in our sport and India have done that around the world. They are really, really good at home but also, one of the better teams to travel as well – that’s their reputation,” he said.
