India vs England: Preparation, self-belief helped Pujara conquer his demons

SOUTHAMPTON: Cheteshwar Pujara's battle to stay relevant outside the subcontinent has been well-documented. A giant in Asian conditions, the right-hander has often found it difficult to get going when India play in places like England, Australia and South Africa.
READ ALSO: England batsmen put heads down to stretch lead to 233
On Friday, however, he was able to change things around with an unbeaten innings of 132 that gave India the necessary oxygen to push for a win in the fourth Test.During the course of the innings, the Saurashtra man showed that he can adopt an attacking approach and can bat with the tail as well.
Batting coach Sanjay Bangar said the "bloody-mindedness" of the Saurashtra batsman was the most impressive aspect of his five-hour toil in difficult conditions. "Talent cannot be seen merely in class, but in bloody-mindedness too. He showed mental strength, patience and the concentration which helped him overcome certain limitations. The innings was also a great mix of caution and aggression and he showed us a glimpse of what he can do when he is batting with the tail," Bangar said.
READ ALSO: Warning to Ishant Sharma hampers India's plans
Pujara had an indifferent county stint for Yorkshire, which made the team management drop him for the first Test in Birmingham. India did miss the 30-year-old on that pitch and India lost by 31 runs. Bangar said: "Birmingham is too much in the past" to discuss whether it was a mistake to drop him or not, but he insisted that there were areas which Pujara had to work on. He was struggling and certain areas had to be worked on. He had to get his balance right and footwork right."
Pujara accepted that "it was disappointing to sit out". "It is not easy, but I just try and focus on things which I can control and focus. While batting, I wasn't even looking at the scoreboard. So that helped me focus on things I need to do rather than worrying about the outcome," Pujara said.
"When it comes to red-ball cricket, I was batting well but runs didn't come. I was still confident because my preparation was up to the mark. I believe in preparation and as long as you put in the efforts in the nets and you have self-belief, you can always pull it off," he said.
Pujara has a habit of carrying on with it once he hits form and the Indian team management is banking on that. "Once he gets on a roll, he generally makes sure he carries on in that fashion. His hunger for runs is well-known and he's known to play long innings. With three innings to go in this series, it augurs well for the Indian team," Bangar said.