Southampton: India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has been copping with lots of criticism lately. Speaking about the same legendary Sachin Tendulkar reckoned that Pujara must be appreciated for his contribution to Indian cricket.
Tendulkar opined that whoever is criticizing Pujara has not played as many games as the latter at the highest level. “I think we should appreciate what Cheteshwar Pujara has been able to achieve for India. It’s not always going about and maintaining a strike-rate and in Test cricket, you need different a kind of planning and different kind of players to fit into your team,” Tendulkar was quoted as saying to PTI.
Despite Pujara’s valuable effort in Australia, he has often faced criticism about not scoring enough and his batting technique and strike rotation. Pujara played a crucial role in India’s historic run chase at Gabba playing 211 balls scoring important 56 runs. India’s No.3 ensured that he held on to one end tightly so that other players can score and chase down the massive 328-run target. Moreover, his 61-run partnership with Rishabh Pant set the tone for India’s historic run-chase.
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Tendulkar also said Pujara’s style has led to India’s success and that people should appreciate him instead of criticizing him. “It’s like five fingers in your hands. Each finger has a different role and Pujara is an integral part of our team. I really like what Pujara has done for India. Rather than scrutinizing each innings, we should be appreciative of what he has done for India. Guys who are digging deep into his technique and rotation, I don’t think those guys have played as much top-level cricket as Pujara,” the legendary right-hander added.
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The 48-year-old also feels that people’s perspective has changed because of T20 cricket where only one skill hitting the ball out of the park is appreciated only. Tendulkar also opined that India have a lot of players with attacking instincts.
“They possibly don’t understand. In today’s age of T20, probably if someone can hit the ball, he is regarded as a good player. For strike-rate, we have players like Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja. They can always increase the strike rate. But when it comes to tiring the opposition and where you require planning and vision to execute whatever your strategies are, for that you need a Cheteshwar,” he added.
