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Hanuma Vihari, who was part of India's two historic series wins in Australia, believes the Indian team will miss Cheteshwar Pujara during their upcoming tour later this year. India, aiming for a series hat-trick, will play a five-Test match series starting from November 22 in Perth. Pujara, who is currently out of the Indian team, was the top scorer in the 2018-19 series with 521 runs off 1258 balls and played a crucial role again in the 2020-21 series, scoring 271 runs off 928 balls.
Key Contributions of Pujara:
Vihari highlighted Pujara's ability to withstand the Australian bowling attack consisting of pacers like Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc, effectively wearing them down. Vihari emphasized that Pujara was the backbone of India's batting order during the last two Australian tours, taking body blows, batting long hours, and facing the new ball to set the stage for other batsmen.
The Challenge of Pujara's Absence:
Vihari expressed concern over who will now take on this vital role, especially since the current top six in India's batting lineup prefer playing aggressive shots. According to Vihari, Virat Kohli is the only batter in the current lineup capable of playing long innings and facing the most deliveries. He added that successfully handling the new Kookaburra ball would make batting with the older ball relatively easier.
Key Players for the Upcoming Series:
In Pujara's absence, Vihari believes KL Rahul will play a crucial role at number six, while Rishabh Pant is best suited for the number five position. The top four will consist of Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli. Vihari also pointed out that this series will be Jaiswal’s biggest challenge yet, as he has excelled at home but still needs to prove himself in foreign conditions like Australia.
Mental Preparation is Key:
Vihari stressed the importance of mental preparation, especially since this tour will involve five Test matches, compared to the usual four. Drawing from his own experience, Vihari recalled his crucial partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin during the last tour’s Sydney Test, which helped India secure a draw. He emphasized that playing in Australia is mentally draining as the team faces hostile conditions, aggressive media, and fervent local supporters.
Keywords:
Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, India vs Australia 2024, Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Indian cricket team, Test cricket, Australia tour, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Australian bowling attack, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Indian batting order.
