The Canadian Parvasi - Issue 09

The International News Weekly Sports
21
August 25, 2017 | Toronto
My best is yet to come, says Chateshwar Pujara
By Debayan Mukherjee
Kolkata: Cheteshwar Pujara,
India's standout performer
in the last 12 months
wearing the white flannels,
feels he still has a lot of areas
to improve on and his
best is yet to come.
"As a cricketer, I always
feel my best is yet to come
and I have been working
hard for it," Pujara, who has
just helped India rout Sri
Lanka 3-0 in the Test series
in the latter's backyard, told
IANS in a telephonic interview.
"I am performing well,
but I still feel there are areas
I can improve and even
perform better. So this is
not the best phase of my
life. I think the best is yet to
come," said the 29-year-old
right-hander known for his
craft at the crease.
In the last year or so,
the Saurashtra batsman
has gone from strength to
strength, becoming the new
Mr. Dependable in Virat
Kohli's Test team.
The second-highest run
getter in Sri Lanka, amassing
309 in three games,
which included two centuries,
Pujara has been India's
most consistent batsman
alongside Kohli since the
team's return from the tour
of the West Indies last year.
He aggregated 1,316 runs
from 13 matches in the 2016-
17 home season.
Pujara feels playing
county cricket for Nottinghamshire
in England has
helped him a great deal.
"This was my third season
(in county cricket). My
first was for Derbyshire,
then I played for Yorkshire.
This time I played for Nottinghamshire.
So I've always
enjoyed playing county
cricket," said Pujara,
who struck a century and a
half-century in five innings
of four games for Nottinghamshire.
"The wickets are always
challenging; there is always
something in it for the fast
bowlers. So when you start
scoring runs you feel confident
as you start knowing
your technique better. The
culture and the atmosphere
also (helps). I always have
a good time playing over
there and I learn a lot."
Asked about the way India
virtually bulldozed Sri
Lanka, Pujara said the team
played to its strength after
fine preparation.
"We have always backed
our strengths. All our batsmen
and bowlers are very
well prepared. As a team we
outplayed them; that is what
I think and I don't know
about how they played and
how their bowlers were.
They were a decent team,
but we were stronger. We
are the No. 1 Test team in
the world and we played
like that."
The islanders surrendered
meekly, losing by 304
runs in the first rubber and
the next two by an innings
and 53 runs and by an innings
and 171 runs.
Pujara, who pays his
bills by playing only Tests,
will be seen in action for
the national team next in
November when Sri Lanka
comes to India.
Asked if it would be an
ideal preparation ahead of
India's tour of the mightier
South Africa, Pujara said:
"Playing in South Africa
against South Africa will
be challenging. But at least
before that we will be playing
three Tests against Sri
Lanka in India. So the good
thing is that we will all be
together.
"We will have to have
different gameplans and
strategies when we play in
South Africa, but playing
against Sri Lanka in India
will help us continue with
our form. Conditionwise it
will be different, but it is
always good to play international
cricket before an
overseas tour."
Does Pujara fancy his
chances in the shorter formats?
"There will be a time
when I will get my opportunity.
At this point, all I
can say is I am improving
on a few things which is
helping me in Tests and
eventually will help me in
the shorter formats."
Pujara, who has played
under M.S. Dhoni and now
under Virat Kohli, refused
to compare the two as captains,
saying both wanted
India to win.
"To me and everyone,
that is the most important
thing. I have enjoyed
playing under MS and I
now enjoy playing under
Virat."
Dhoni, Bhuvi guide India to three-wicket victory over Sri Lanka
IANS
Pallekale: Disciplined innings
from former skipper
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
and pacer Bhuvneshwar
Kumar saw India defeating
Sri Lanka by three wickets
in a thrilling second One-
Day International here on
Thursday
Chasing a revised target
of 231 due to rain, India were
cruising at 108 for no loss in
the 16th over. But the match
turned on its head in a space
of six overs as the visitors
lost seven wickets for just 22
runs.
All-rounder Akila Dananjaya
created havoc in the
India's batting line-up as he
scalped six wickets in his 10
overs.
But then Dhoni (45 not
out) and Bhuvneshwar A(53
not out) forged a match-winning
partnership to seal the
deal for India.
India now lead the five
match series 2-0. The visitors
had defeated Sri Lanka
by nine wickets in the ODI
at Dambulla.
Indian openers Dhawan
and Rohit started the
chase perfectly by forging
a 109-run partnership. The
duo slammed Sri Lankan
bowlers all around the park.
In the process, Rohit completed
his half-century. But
after adding four more runs,
the Mumbai batsman was
adjudged leg before wicket
off Dananjaya.
Trying to be aggressive,
Dhawan mistimed a shot
and fell prey to Milinda Siriwardana
in the very next
over.
All eyes were on new
batsmen Lokesh Rahul, Kedar
Jadhav and Virat Kohli,
but the trio failed to rise to
the expectations and were
dismissed by Dananjaya in
the same over at scores of 1.,
4 and 4 respectively.
With half of the side
back to the pavilion, it
was now on Dhoni and allrounder
Hardik Pandya but
the the latter disappointed
as he was also dismissed by
Dananjaya after three overs
with no runs to his credit.
With chances of winning
looking sleek, Bhuvneshwar
then joined Dhoni in the
middle and played sensibly.
The duo forged a 100-run
partnership and finished
the proceeding with more
than two overs to spare.
Earlier, sensible innings
from Siriwardana (58)
and Chamara Kapugedera
(40) helped Sri Lanka score
236/8. But due to rain, the
target was revised to 230.
Apart from the duo,
opener Niroshan Dickwella
(31) contributed to the cause
for the hosts.
After going down in the
first ODI by nine wickets,
Sri Lanka regrouped their
strategy in this game and
started off on a positive note
but some poor shot selection
from the in-form and experienced
players resulted in
their downfall in the middle
overs.
However, Siriwardana
and Kapugedera played the
ball to its merit to stabilise
the innings. But after the
fall of the latter's wicket,
the lower-order failed to
provide the much required
support and, thus, the hosts
only managed to score a
chaseable target. On the
other hand, Indian bowlers
stepped up to the occasion
in the overcast conditions
and chipped in with vital
wickets at regular intervals.
The fielding was also up to
the mark.
After India won the toss
and put the Islanders in to
bat, the hosts crossed the 40-
run-mark in the eighth over
but then Dickwella was sent
back to the pavilion. Soon
Danushka Gunathilaka,
who troubled the visitors in
the first ODI, was dismissed
by leg-spinner Yuzvendra
Chahal. Once again the
middle-order got exposed
soon and experienced players
Upul Tharanga (9) and
Angelo Mathews (20) were
dismissed by Hardik Pandya
and Axar Patel, respectively.
But just when things
seemed poor for the hosts,
Siriwardana and Kapugedera
displayed their temperament
and forged the crucial
quality time
runs for their team. After
giving a tough fight in the
middle, the duo was, however,
sent packing by Jasprit
Bumrah. Then the lowerorder
batsmen -- ananjaya
(9), Dushmantha Chameera
(6) and Vishwa Fernando (3)
-- once again failed to make
their mark and Sri Lanka
only managed to score 236 in
their allotted 50 overs.
For India, pacer Bumrah
scalped four wickets
while leg-spinner Chahal
took two.
Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli and his actress girfriend Anushka
Sharma enjoying some quality time together in Sri Lanka.