Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja showered rich praise on Cheteshwar Pujara for his hard work and never-give-up attitude after the veteran batter played a key role in Team India’s 188-run win over Bangladesh in the first Test on Sunday (December 18) in Chattogram.
Pujara impressed one and all with his batting performance across both innings of the first Test against Bangladesh, registering scores of 90 and 102* to help India take a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series.
Notably, Pujara has had a roller-coaster year in 2022, as he was dropped from the Test team earlier this year due to a series of inconsistent performances, but he regained his form in the County Championship in England, and now he has once again proven why he is still valuable for the Indian team.
Hailing Pujara's rejuvenation, Jadeja said that the right-hander might not have those stylish shots, but whenever he bats, he does the job for the side.
Ajay Jadeja said on Sony Sports Network: “Don't forget he had been dropped two Tests back and was out for a series. The selectors had rejected him and the same selectors got him back. This guy has always shown in his career, right from his under-15 days, that struggle is his name.”
He further noted, “He has had operations on both his knees, it is very difficult after that. This guy kept on doing the difficult tasks and he has so much love for the game that wherever you play him, he doesn't get out. He is not fond of playing shots but of scoring runs.”
He further said Pujara’s contribution to the Test team in terms of runs is not much behind Virat Kohli.
Jadeja signed off by saying, “No one has given as much solidity as him. He and Virat Kohli have had parallel careers, both have played in the same era, he is not too far behind in terms of runs, and attractiveness is probably not that much. If you see his contribution over the last 10 years, he has done one inch more than what was in his control.”
