'That’s why they call me the ‘rock’ - Cheteshwar Pujara opens up on challenges of batting in top order

Appreciation and criticism are part and parcel of a sportsperson's life. Cheteshwar Pujara has been on the receiving end of the critics for his poor show recently. However, he still remains one of India’s key players in the current setup - no doubt about. Pujara played a pivotal role in India’s historical win in Australia. In the final Test in Brisbane, Pujara took several body blows but stood firm to take India to victory.

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While speaking on the BBC's Test Match Special podcast, Pujara opened upon facing the assault from the Australian bowlers. The Indian No 3 said batting in the top order in overseas conditions is demanding and sometimes you have to be in line to face the bullets.

“There are times when you need to face the bullet. If you are batting at the top of the order for the Indian team, especially overseas, you need to have a lot of guts. You need to have lots of patience and temperament. There are some innings where I had to take the bullet and that’s why they call me the ‘rock’,” said Pujara.

Pujara further revealed it was difficult to judge the bounce of the ball in Brisbane. Pujara was one of the few Indian players who played all four Tests and accumulated 271 runs, paving way for a magnificent series win.

“It was difficult to judge the bounce of the ball. And there were balls which were hitting my body. I just told myself that even if it hits my body, I will keep my hands down. I don’t want the ball to hit my gloves or bat. And that was mainly the game plan for any that was bowled short of back of a length,” explained Pujara.