India go into the second Test in Bengaluru with their tails up after wrapping up the Mohali Test inside three days. As they aim to take an unassailable lead in the series, one of the heroes of their Mohali win, Cheteshwar Pujara, took a trip down memory lane as he returned to the venue of his Test debut – the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
“I still remember the sweet memories I have. It was 2010 and I made my debut against Australia on this ground, so it’s good to be back here again,” Pujara said.
“After that we have played another Test match here against New Zealand (in August-September 2012). Overall, I think this venue is really good and I love playing in Chinnaswamy Stadium. It’s one of my favourite stadiums, so I’m really looking forward to this game.”
Team India too, have good memories of this venue, having won their last two Tests here. Pujara said that while the past results will not count for much, a 1-0 lead does give the team a moral edge going into the Test.
“It’s a fresh game, but the good thing for us is that we have won the first Test, so psychologically we can say that we have an advantage. Obviously, we can’t take them lightly; they are a good side. What we need to do is stay focussed on the things that are needed to win the Test match rather than worrying about what their team might do and what kind of cricket they can play. As long as we are focussed on the things we want to do, it will allow us to succeed in this Test match,” Pujara said.
For Pujara, personally, his 31 and 77-run knocks in the Mohali Test were very valuable, as they came in difficult batting conditions and were crucial to India’s victory. After spending a few matches away from the team, Pujara returned to the Test team in Sri Lanka, where he scored a century opening the batting. Looking back, Pujara said he was never doubtful of his return to Test cricket.
“If you talk about form, there was never a doubt that I would come back to international cricket because the start that I had was good. I had the confidence. I was back to form. All cricketers will have that phase when they are not performing as well as they should. But once you start believing in yourself, start working harder on your game and start scoring runs in any game, whether it is domestic or club cricket, you gain the confidence that you can do well, ” he said.
What also helped Pujara make a successful comeback was a little tweak in his batting stance. “I have the measurement of what kind of stance I have – the distance between my legs. Earlier I had a little wider stance but now I have made it slightly narrower,” he revealed.
“Obviously every stance has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on the players’ comfort and the kind of technique they have. That is different for each and every individual. The most important thing about the stance is comfort.
“I discussed about it with my father and Rahul (Dravid) bhai before the Sri Lanka series and then I came down to conclusion of what I wanted and it has helped me,” he said.
