Cheteshwar Pujara clearly enjoys playing domestic cricket. He turned out for Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals eight days after his return from a long Australia tour and on Tuesday, following a delayed flight, he headed straight to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium from the airport to join his teammates in the nets.
“Playing for Saurashtra is an honour,” he said afterwards. “I’ve grown up playing Ranji Trophy cricket. It has taught me many lessons on playing long innings. I always respect the Ranji Trophy. Youngsters should look forward to playing this tournament because it prepares you for the longer format.”
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Coming from behind to defeat Uttar Pradesh had filled Saurashtra with confidence ahead of its semifinal clash with Karnataka, Pujara felt. “It’s a five-day game and we saw (in Lucknow) what we can do as a team. Now, we’re a confident unit after chasing 372.
“We played good cricket against Karnataka when we won in Rajkot this season (in the group stages). We're looking forward to the semifinal. The Chinnaswamy Stadium is a special ground for me because I made my Test debut here.”
Saurashtra has never won the Ranji Trophy (not including the title Nawanagar won in 1936-37) and in the last six years has twice finished runner-up (2012-13 and 2015-16 seasons). But the quest for a maiden title would not weigh the current side down, Pujara stated.
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“At times, we have been very desperate about winning the Ranji Trophy but this time there’s no pressure,” he said.
“I'm going to talk about this to all the players. Even if we lose, the kind of cricket we’ve played this season has been exceptional.
Very special
“The quarterfinal victory was very special to me. To make a comeback like that shows we have a very good chance of winning the semifinals and perhaps even the final.”
Pujara admitted that playing on Indian surfaces after a tour of Australia would need some work.
“It’s a bit of a change coming here from Australia, getting used to the low bounce and playing with the SG ball,” he said.
“But I've played enough cricket at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. I'm sure once I spend some time at the crease, I'll be OK.”
As an India star and senior player, Pujara will be expected to deliver for Saurashtra. “Sometimes there is extra pressure,” he said.
“When I was playing the quarterfinal, I knew there was a lot of responsibility on my shoulders.
“But I also need to understand that I need to be normal to perform well.
“ I just have to focus on the process rather than worrying about the pressure or expectations.
“I just have to prepare well.”