[ad_1]
India slugger Cheteshwar Pujara recalled the historic 2018 test series victory over Australia – India’s first victory on Australian soil. Speaking about 100 Hours 100 Stars, an initiative started by the Fever Network, Pujara called the series a moment of pride, adding that it was a team effort. “It was a special series. It was our first test victory on Australian soil, so it was a moment of pride for all of us,” he said.
“The first game defined the series for all of us. If you can win the first Test and start well, especially abroad, it will help. It’s hard to bounce back when he’s at home and fall 1-0 in a four-game series of tests. It happened to us in 2017 when Australia visited India. We lost the first test in Pune. To recover from that … it was the hardest series I’ve ever been a part of, “he added.
“So after winning the first test in Australia, we knew we were in a dominant position and that we could win the series. It was a collective effort that we all enjoyed, ”he added.
Pujara further applauded India’s bowling effort throughout the Tour Down Under. “Our fast bowling was another important aspect of the series. They have improved a lot, and they have surpassed us in Australia, ”he added.
Also read: 100 hours 100 stars: “Covid -19 is a test match in a dangerous wicket” – Sourav Ganguly
Pujara finished the series as the top scorer with 521 runs in 4 races with an average of 74.42. He scored three hundred in the series. When asked which was his favorite, Pujara recalled the hundred he scored in the first Test of the series in Adelaide.
“The first hundred in Adelaide was the most memorable of that series. We were about six wickets down. And then I had a partnership with R Ashwin. I thought putting a good total in the first innings of a great series of Tests was a crucial part. My individual score was 123 and our total was 250.
“That’s where it all started. So we plan to take Australia out before 250, and that’s what happened. We got a 15-20 run lead, then we started to believe we could win, and we also put a decent total on the board in the second inning to be chased, ”he said.
