Pujara was dropped from the Indian side during West Indies tour.
In-form or not, Cheteshwar Pujara's strike rate has been a cause for debate for most of his career. He was even dropped for one-test during India's West Indies tour. While many were dismayed with Pujara being dropped, the Indian team management was not happy with his slow strike rate. However, Virat Kohli had words of praise for the right-handed batsman after India's comprehensive victory against New Zealand in the first test match at Kanpur.
Kohli said Pujara has improved a lot as he was now scoring at a brisk pace. Pujara has been criticised for a below average show at number three in the previous West Indies tour. "He is someone who absorbs the pressure really well but after a certain stage in the innings there comes a time when the team needs runs. That's where we felt that he has the ability to capitalise. It was just about conveying that to him. He has worked hard on his game. "He scored at a good strike rate in the Duleep trophy. Even on this wicket he was scoring at 65, almost 70 strike rate, which for me was a revelation to see Pujara bat that way."
Sandeep Patil, whose tenure as chairman of selectors ended recently, told ABP News on Sunday that both Kohli and coach Anil Kumble had expressed concern to Pujara over his scoring rate when he was dropped in the West Indies. Pujara had to make way for Rohit Sharma in the third Test in St Lucia after failing to make a mark in the first two Tests, where he also registered meagre strike rates in his two outings with the bat. This led to a reshuffle in the batting order, with Kohli walking in at No. 3, from where he scored 3 and 4.
Characteristically, Pujara went back to the domestic circuit and scored big runs. The Saurashtra batsman amassed an impressive 166 off 280 balls, 31 off 35, and 256 off 263, to regain his spot in the Test eleven. He then bettered his career strike rate of 48.2 in both innings of the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur, scoring crucial half-centuries at a strike rate above 50.
With agency inputs
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 "Cheteshwar Pujara")
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