Australia Test captain Pat Cummins has named former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara as the toughest Indian batsman he has faced during his international career. Cummins used a memorable phrase to describe the challenge of bowling to Pujara, comparing it to “death by a thousand paper cuts.”

During a recent interaction with Prime Video Sport, Cummins was asked to identify the toughest opponents he had encountered from different cricketing nations. For India, he immediately picked Pujara, highlighting the former batter’s patience, discipline and determination at the crease.

Pujara was a key figure in India’s historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumphs in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21. His ability to absorb pressure and occupy the crease for long periods often frustrated opposition bowlers.

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“India, I am going to say, Pujara. He is really hard to get out. It is just it is like death by a thousand paper cuts. Happy to face 100 dot balls if he wanted to. He isn’t going to give you a chance,” Pat Cummins said.

Pat Cummins has seriously rubbed shoulders with cricketing greatness in his career 🤩🏏#PatCummins #ChrisGayle #ABDeVilliers #Cricket #UniverseBoss pic.twitter.com/11COv9WIFa

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For Pakistan, Pat Cummins selected former spinner Saeed Ajmal, recalling the difficulty of facing his unusual bowling action and variations. “Pakistan, Saeed Ajmal. It was like the last ball of the over; I walked in, Saeed Ajmal just goes and I went, what? Clean bowled. I have never seen anything like that,” Cummins said.

Cummins also named Alastair Cook, AB de Villiers, Brendon McCullum, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Chris Gayle among the toughest opponents he faced from England, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the West Indies respectively. Interestingly, every player on his list has retired from international cricket.

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Pujara retired from international cricket in 2025 after an accomplished Test career. He scored 7,195 runs in 103 Tests at an average of 43.60, including 19 centuries and 35 fifties. He also represented India in five ODIs, scoring 51 runs.