Cheteshwar Pujara fondly recalled India's historic first-ever Test series win in Australia during the 2018-19 season.
The Indian Test No.3 hailed that as one of the finest team efforts and a proud moment for everyone involved.
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"It was a special series. It was our first Test win on Australian soil, so it was a proud moment for all of us," said Pujara on '100 Hours 100 Stars', an initiative started by Fever Network.
“The first match defined the series for all of us. If you can win the first Test, and start off well, especially overseas, it helps you. It is difficult to bounce back when you are at home and go 1-0 down in a four-match Test series."
"It happened to us in 2017 when Australia visited India. We lost the first Test in Pune. To bounce back from that... it was the toughest series I have ever been part of."
"So, we knew after winning the first Test in Australia that we were in commanding position, and we could win the series. It was a collective effort, all of us enjoyed."
India's fast bowling trio of Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami outbowled that of the Australians, featuring Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.
"Our fast bowling was another important aspect of the series. They have improved a lot - and they got us over the line in Australia," said Pujara.
Personally, it was a legendary tour down under for Pujara, as he made 521 runs at an average of 74.42, including tons in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.
"The first hundred in Adelaide was the most memorable one from that series," he said. "We were about six wickets down. And then I had a partnership with R Ashwin. I thought putting a good total in the first innings of a big Test series was a crucial part. My individual score was 123, and our total was 250."
"That is where everything started. So, we planned to get Australia all out before 250, and that’s what happened. We got a lead of 15-20 runs, then we started believing we could win, and we went about putting a decent total on the board in the 2nd innings as well for them to chase," Pujara added.
(Inputs from HT)
