Former Indian cricketer, well-known cricket commentator and the newly appointed Director of the National Cricket Academy, VVS Laxman expressed worry about Cheteshwar Pujara’s dry run in Test cricket and said that he needs to score a hundred as it’s already been a very long wait.
“Yes, it’s definitely a worry. Because the batting position Pujara usually bats is No. 3. You usually get a lot more opportunities (to score hundreds) than when you’re batting at No. 5 or No. 6,” VVS Laxman said during a show on Star Sports.
Dwelling more into the technical details of Cheteshwar Pujara’s poor run with the bat, VVS Laxman said that there is a similar pattern in Pujara’s dismissal since the tour of England in which Jack Leach exploited his weakness outside the off-stump.
“Also, this is the type of dismissal that we saw quite consistently when India played England. Jack Leach got Pujara out 2 or 3 times in this fashion. The way he approached his defensive shot, the angle of the bat, he was not able to cover the turn. On this wicket, it’s important to cover the turn and be behind the line and the angle of the bat was not straight. That’s why the ball was carried to Ross Taylor,” VVS Laxman added.
VVS Laxman also emphasised on the great opportunity that Pujara had and he failed to capitalise on it. man also emphasised on the great opportunity that Pujara had and he failed to capitalise on it.
“He had a wonderful opportunity, just like Mayank Agarwal. He will be probably very disappointed because it was not just about missing a half-century but a big hundred. But he found a method out to negate the short-pitched strategy from Southee. I thought he had a wonderful opportunity to get a hundred,” Laxman said.
“It’s about people talking about that and it can get frustrating. The quicker you get to the 3-figure mark, then everyone will stop talking and then you can go out and do your business with a very, very free mind.”
OUR VIEW: VVS Laxman is absolutely spot-on when he says that for a number 3 batsman, having more than 40 innings without a hundred is a huge worry. Cheteshwar Pujara must end his hundred-less run which has gone on for too long, if he wants to maintain his place in India’s Test team.
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