Team India's star batter, Cheteshwar Pujara, may currently be away from the squad, but he has carved a rich legacy as one of the side's most dependable batters during his time in the team. Pujara was known for his grit, patience, and resilience at the crease, and played a key role in India's triumphs Down Under during the 2018/19 and 2020/21 Test tours.
However, the batter has now revealed that even when he was not an internal part of the playing XI, he did enough to destabilise a certain Australian during the 2014/15 tour to the country: David Warner. During a chat with Harbhajan Singh and Jatin Sapru on Star Sports, Pujara revealed how Warner sledged him when the former came to the field bringing drinks for the players.
“During the 2014/15 tour, I wasn't in the playing XI. I was carrying the drinks, he came to me and said, ‘you look good carrying drinks’,” Pujara revealed.
The batter, then, revealed how he silenced Warner, and used the same reply on many occasions to put the Australian under pressure.
“Since then, we kept sledging. And every time, I would do this (shows the off-spin sign) because Ashwin would dismiss him the most. And I told every bowler to just gesture the off-spin bowling at him, because it plays psychological trick on him,” said Pujara.
{{/usCountry}}“Since then, we kept sledging. And every time, I would do this (shows the off-spin sign) because Ashwin would dismiss him the most. And I told every bowler to just gesture the off-spin bowling at him, because it plays psychological trick on him,” said Pujara.
{{/usCountry}}“I used to sledge him at short-leg too. I won't elaborate more on that! But whenever Warner used to come to India, I kept reminding him that he would get dismissed to Ashwin the most.”
Pujara isn't part of the current Indian team in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but is the member of the broadcasting team. He is also a regular in Indian domestic circuit, where he represents Saurashtra.
First day's play disrupted by rain
Only 13.2 overs were possible throughout the first day's play in Brisbane on Saturday, with rain disrupting the proceedings. India, after winning the toss, invited Pat Cummins' Australia to bat under overcast conditions; the Australian openers remained unbeaten throughout the short patch of play, adding 28 runs to the board.