India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, on Tuesday, opined that his county cricket experience helped him become a better cricketer, while also revealing that he would be training in England again with India scheduled to embark on a long away season in the months ahead.
Pujara talked up playing in the seam-heavy conditions while insisting that flourishing in English conditions had little to with technique. “Playing county cricket is about being in that environment and batting on those wickets which seam and have a bit of bounce. It’s all about getting the experience and nothing related to your technique.
Once you reach a certain point [in your career], your technique is very much decided and all you need to do is fine-tune it,” Pujara was quoted as saying by Times of India. “I believe county cricket helps you grow as a cricketer. I feel if you want to play Test cricket and aim to do well in different venues, then county cricket is the way to go. In the coming weeks, I will be heading back to play a few more games for my county,” he added.
Pujara was instrumental in masterminding India’s 3-0 whitewash over Sri Lanka, slamming 309 runs at 77.25, which included two centuries. Since making a comeback in the Test team in August 2015, Pujara has amassed 2034 runs in 24 games with an average just a touch under 60.
The 29-year-old attributed his fine run to his country experience. “Going into the Test series, I wanted to continue batting the way I have in the last one-and-half years. I was well-prepared for it since I went to play county cricket [for Nottinghamshire] ahead of the series. Also, I had played in Lanka during the 2015 series and that gave me a lot of confidence,” Pujara said.
‘I can play in all formats’
Despite having recently crossed the 50-Tests mark, the Saurashtra batsman has played only five One-day Internationals. Pujara is unfazed by the lack of white-ball cricket: “I am very confident that I can play in all formats. I have been working hard on my game, and in time to come the results will follow.”
Pujara also heaped praise on coach Ravi Shastri, who enjoyed a successful return to heading matters in the dressing room. He said: “Ravi bhai is someone who gives players enough freedom and at the same time knows what is needed for the players to be in the best possible shape ahead of any game. He makes players feel welcome and players understand their roles in the side.”
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