Facing 89 balls from Leach in the series, it was the fourth time Pujara failed against the left-arm spinner
Cheteshwar Pujara adjusts his helmet during the second day of the fourth Test cricket match between India and England. Picture/ AFP
Minor cracks seem to appear in Cheteshwar Pujara’s wall-like batting. The India No. 3 Test specialist was on Friday dismissed for the fourth time to England’s left-arm spinner Jack Leach in the Test series.
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Coming round the wicket, Pujara was wrapped on the pads on the last ball of the 24th over and Leach’s second over of the second day. Umpire Nitin Menon had no doubt that the ball was crashing the middle and off stump, but Pujara straightaway reviewed the decision.
However, the Decision Review System (DRS) confirmed that it was pad first and later bat, forcing Pujara to take the long walk back for 17. Pujara’s dismissal was very similar to the one in the third Test here.
Facing 89 balls from Leach in the series, it was the fourth time Pujara failed against the left-arm spinner. However, before this, Pujara has been dismissed by left-arm spinners only six times in his glittering career.
Before the fourth Test, skipper Virat Kohli had dismissed any concerns with Pujara’s form. “First and foremost, Cheteshwar Pujara himself knows the things he needs to improve on. About the technicalities of the game, you can probably speak to the batting coach about how Cheteshwar’s game is forming against left-arm spin and all that.
“Every cricketer, every batsman faces some sort of challenges in terms of a couple of areas where they might find a bit of need for improvement. That happens to all of us constantly. These are very responsible guys who first and foremost go into the nets. Bat more than anyone else to iron out their flaws, and I’m sure he’ll keep solidifying his game moving forward. But there is absolutely no concern when it comes to Cheteshwar Pujara,” Kohli had said.
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