Bright chance of winning, says Pujara

Pujara said communication between him and Murali Vijay has always been the feature of their partnerships.

Century-maker Cheteshwar Pujara stuck his neck out to say India has a bright chance of winning the Test match here. “Obviously we have a bright chance to win the game if we bat well on Saturday. I definitely believe that the ball will start turning from tomorrow [Saturday] and batting on day 5 will be difficult for them. But, at the moment, I don’t want to talk too much about it, we batted well today [Friday].

“In the last session we lost a couple of crucial wickets, but we’re still in a good position. If we continue to bat well, and once we reach the same total or get a lead of 60 or 70 runs, it will help us in the second innings. The plan is really simple — to first reach that mark of 537,” said Pujara.

Pujara said communication between him and Murali Vijay has always been the feature of their partnerships. “Both of us have been playing Test cricket for a long time. We spend a lot of time, not just on the field but also talking about the game and about this format.”

Pujara said playing only Test cricket makes it difficult to be in touch with the game all the while. “We have played some domestic matches in the free time after the New Zealand series and we were there at the NCA to practise before the start of this series. So I think it’s the communication which keeps us going.”

Someone accustomed to bat at his home ground here, Pujara was actually aiming to score a double century. “To be very honest, I was hoping to get a double hundred. I told myself that it is not just about one more run, it was about 101 more runs when I was on 99. I was nervous, but I just wanted to focus on scoring more runs.”

A century at the SCA is something special for him. “It means a lot. I’ve been playing a lot of domestic matches here. I have a triple-hundred in one of the First Class games. So, before I played this game, there were many nervous moments because of expectations from family and friends; even the crowd was expecting me to score big runs.”

On his struggle against short balls, Pujara said, “I got a couple of good bouncers. I did not judge them well. Usually, I am very good at short balls. So, I think there were a couple of occasions where I did not judge properly. I told myself that even if I get hit on the helmet or body, I will take it. I know the conditions very well, couple of short balls don’t disturb me and my game plan.”