Legendary Australian seamer, Glenn McGrath said on Sunday that Australia has identified a chink in Cheteshwar Pujara’s armor and executed their plans against the veteran Indian batsman well in the ongoing four-match Test series against India. The latter was caught behind after Josh Hazlewood got one to pitch in the off-stump line and straighten from there in the first innings of the 4th Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Sunday.
Cheteshwar Pujara was the difference between the two teams when India clinched a historic 2-1 win against Australia in 2018-19. He batted more than 1000 deliveries and amassed as many as 521 runs, including 3 double hundreds.
However, in the ongoing series, Cheteshwar Pujara has managed 215 runs in 7 innings so far. While most of the deliveries that have got Pujara out would have got anyone out in world cricket, McGrath feels there is a pattern developing in the senior batsman’s mode of dismissal.
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During a recent chat on Sony Sports, Glenn McGrath was heard saying, “Pujara is getting out in similar ways but they are all very good deliveries. They are all around the off-stump. He is (allowing bowlers to bowl there consistently). If you bowl there, he is not going to score runs. And one just does a bit more and he will be out. The bowlers have to be consistent and have to be patient and get that ball in that right area.”
He further elaborated, “I think the Australian team has identified that. They said at the start of the series, that they had plans for Pujara and that back hip comes around, you do square up and probably make those balls look better than they are and I think they have identified something and they have been able to execute the plans and they have got the result they wanted.”
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India was reduced to 186 for 6 in reply to Australia’s first innings total of 369. The likes of Rohit Sharma (44), Pujara (25), Ajinkya Rahane (37), Mayank Agarwal (38), and Rishabh Pant (23) got starts but none of them were able to convert them into a big knock when India needed one, considering the young Indian bowling unit at their disposal after the series of injuries.
