Have come back a better player - Pujara

India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara believes he has come back a "better player" after his stint in English county cricket with Yorkshire. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo after returning from England, Pujara said he "achieved the targets" he had set out for.

"I could have achieved more though as I had a few 30s where I was well set and I had the chance to get a big one," Pujara said. "A couple of decisions didn't go my way which is a part of the game. Overall, I achieved my targets. The experience of playing in those conditions helped me learn a lot. The dressing room atmosphere was fantastic and I enjoyed playing for them."

Pujara signed up for a short-term contract with Yorkshire after being ignored at the IPL auction in February. He played four matches for the defending county champions, scoring 264 runs in six innings at an average of 52.80 with one century and a fifty. Pujara said these performances have "boosted his confidence" given the tricky early season conditions he had to encounter.

"At the beginning of the season, the wickets are always difficult to bat on in the UK," he said. "I thought getting a hundred and a fifty in those conditions was really important. I was getting starts so I was not nervous and I didn't have issues facing seam bowling. There were a couple of really challenging wickets where batting was really difficult. I survived those conditions and it boosted my confidence."

Pujara lost his place in the playing XI for India's last Test on the tour of Australia, in Sydney, after a string of below-par performances. Over eight Test matches in England and Australia, he scored 423 runs at an average of 26.43, going past the half-century mark just twice. He believes the stint with Yorkshire will help him get back to run-scoring ways.

"When you play in challenging conditions, you learn about your technique and how to score runs in difficult situations," he said. "So, the pressure makes you matured. Once you score runs in those conditions, you believe in yourself and you can do it any conditions. When you play Test cricket, the wickets are generally good to bat but in county cricket you get result-oriented wickets. So you bat in challenging conditions and having done that, I'm definitely a better player."

Pujara is expected to be named in the Indian Test squad for the one-off Test against Bangladesh next month. He believes there is enough time to adjust to the change in conditions he is likely to encounter from England to Bangladesh. Pujara is also keen to resume batting at the No. 3 position, where he has had most of his success at Test level.

"Since I've been batting at No. 3, I'm comfortable there but it also depends on the team's requirement," he said. "If there is a need to change my batting position, I'll bat at that position but I think the team wants me to bat at No. 3 and that is where I have performed well in the past. I think No. 3 suits me as well as the team."

The series in Bangladesh will also mark the formal start of a new era for India in Test cricket with MS Dhoni having announced his retirement from the format. Pujara believes Dhoni deserves credit for "building this team," having identified the potential of the individuals under his wing. Pujara is confident this group can give India success in the years ahead.

"Most of us have played a decent amount of cricket together," he said. "We know each other as we have been a part of the India A teams together. This bunch knows each other well as we have played a lot of cricket together. I have no doubt that we should be able to perform well wherever we go whether - in India or abroad. MS Dhoni was trying to build this team and he knew the potential of this team. Credit has to go to him for building this team."