AUS v IND 2020-21: Pujara says team has faith in Indian bowlers to overcome Warner, Smith challenge

Smith and Warner were banned from cricket when India beat Australia in Test series in Australia in 2018-19.

Cheteshwar Pujara was India’s batting trump card when the team scripted a historic maiden Test series win in Australia in 2018-19. Pujara scored over 500 runs in the 4-match series, including three centuries, which had a score of 190 plus in SCG.

Now as the two teams get ready to lock horns again for the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the Indian no.3 batsman has said that the team management is aware of the challenge that David Warner and Steve Smith present, but he has full faith in Indian bowlers, who blew away Australia in that historic and successful series win.

Smith and Warner didn’t play in that series due to their ball-tampering bans.

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“It (Australian batting line-up) will be a little stronger than what it was in 2018-19 but then victories don’t come easy. If you want to win away from home, you need to work hard,” Pujara, India’s dependable no.3 told PTI.

Pujara banked upon the troika of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, and Mohammad Shami to come good again against Australia in their own backyard, as they did in the 2018-19 series.

“No doubt Smith, Warner, and Marnus Labuschagne are great players. But the good part about our current crop of bowlers is that most of them play in the same series and our bowling unit will also not be very different from what it was in 2018-19,” he said.

“They know how to be successful in Australia as they have enjoyed success there in the past. They have their game-plans in place and if we can execute them well, they are capable of getting Smith, Warner, and Labuschagne out quickly. If we can do what we have done in the past, I am sure we have every chance of winning the series again,” Pujara added.

The first Test of the series in Adelaide will a historic one, as India and Australia will battle in a day-night, pink-ball Test for the first time ever. Australia has never been defeated in a day-night Test before, while India will be playing their first pink-ball Test outside home conditions.

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“It will be a different challenge altogether playing with a pink ball as pace and bounce also change. We will be playing with pink kookaburra in Australia (against Bangladesh, it was Pink SG Test). It will be slightly different. As a team and as individuals, one has to understand and accept and get used to it (pink ball and lights) as early as possible. There will be a bit of difference with the pink ball,” Pujara said.

The 32-year-old is confident that history will repeat itself in Australia this time.

“You can’t win matches on your own. Yes, you can perform exceptionally well but you need support from other players to win. Even the bowling unit was remarkable during the last series.

In the end, you need 20 wickets to win a Test, and wasn’t just my performance, even other batters supported at some stage or the other. It was the team’s success. When the Indian team succeeds, it is always a moment of pride,’ he recollected.

(PTI inputs)