Not Rabada Or Starc: Cheteshwar Pujara Names His Toughest Opponents In Test Cricket | Cricket News

Cheteshwar Pujara, often hailed as the successor to Rahul Dravid, built a reputation as India’s modern-day “wall” at the No.3 position in Test cricket. Across his decade-long international career, Pujara’s patience, grit, and resilience helped India script some of their most memorable wins both at home and overseas.

Fierce Battles Against the World’s Best

In a recent interview with the Times of India, the 36-year-old revealed the bowlers who tested his technique and temperament the most. Surprisingly, he left out long-time rivals Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood from the list, but singled out Australia’s Pat Cummins and off-spinner Nathan Lyon among the toughest. His duels with Cummins during the historic 2020/21 Test series in Australia remain fresh in memory, where Pujara absorbed countless body blows to anchor India’s fightback.

South African Pace Threat

Pujara also highlighted South Africa’s fiery pace duo of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. The pair troubled many top-order batters during their prime, and Pujara admitted their pace and accuracy consistently challenged him in tough overseas conditions.

James Anderson’s Consistency

Among English bowlers, James Anderson stood out as the most successful against Pujara. The Indian stalwart credited Anderson’s swing and longevity for being one of the toughest puzzles he had to solve throughout his Test career.

“Across my career, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, James Anderson, and Pat Cummins have been among the most challenging bowlers I’ve faced,” Pujara told TOI.

A Glorious Career Comes to an End

Earlier this week, Cheteshwar Pujara announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. The former India vice-captain finished with 7195 runs in 103 Tests, alongside a staggering 21,301 runs in 278 first-class matches. His last outing for India came in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia.

While he continued playing domestic cricket for Saurashtra, Pujara was recently left out of the West Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy signalling the curtain call on a career built on resilience, grit, and sheer determination.