India vs Australia: Cheteshwar Pujara has faced 3,609 balls in 28 innings vs Australia in final 10 years.© AFP
India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara may possibly have missed his half-century on Thursday, but he broke England skipper Joe Root’s record of facing most deliveries against Australia in the longest format of the game in the final 10 years. Pujara, who has now faced 3,609 balls in 28 innings against Australia in the final 10 years, scored 43 runs off 160 balls on the opening day of the very first Test at the Adelaide Oval. Root, who has scored 5,962 runs in Test cricket, has faced 3,607 deliveries against Australia in the previous decade. India skipper Virat Kohli and veteran batsman Alastair Cook have faced 3,115 and 3,274 balls against Australia respectively.
Pujara played a patient knock on the opening day of the pink-ball Test but was dismissed just prior to the tea break by Nathan Lyon. The Australian spinner sent Pujara back for the tenth time in Test cricket.
The Indian batsman admitted that patience is the crucial in the longest format of the game. Pujara stated the batsmen want to devote sufficient time on the Adelaide wicket prior to they can start off going just after the bowlers.
“Patience is necessary for Test cricket as you bat according to the situation. When bowlers are getting the help you have to be patient and you tend to not play many shots,” he stated in the course of the virtual press conference.
“I don’t think it was a flat pitch where you can start playing your shots and keep scoring runs. So it’s a pitch where you need to give enough time as a batsman,” Pujara added.
At stumps, India’s score study 233/6 with Saha (9) and R Ashwin (15) at the crease and the Australian bowlers hunting to go for the kill.
For the hosts, Mitchell Starc looked a fully diverse character with the second new ball in hand and completed with the finest figures of the day — 2/49.