Australian speedster Josh Hazlewood heaped praise on Cheteshwar Pujara, saying getting the wicket of the veteran Indian batter gives a bigger thrill to the bowlers.
Hazlewood missed the chance to revive his rivalry with Pujara during the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy as he was recovering from the tendon injury. The pacer also revealed that the Australians "love to hate" Pujara, as dismissing the right-hander is the toughest job for the bowlers.
Josh Hazlewood said on the RCB podcast: “It’s a bigger thrill for the bowlers (to dismiss Pujara). I think when you do end up getting his wicket, it means you have earned it. It means you’ve put in a lot of hard work. Whether it is the fifth ball he (Pujara) faces… you’ve already bowled to him in the previous Test matches, you’ve earned that respect and you’ve earned that wicket.”
Hazlewood added, “He’s someone I’ve had some great tussles over the years, and, in particular, in Australia. He’s someone Australians love to hate but he’s a fantastic player and I guess that is part of Test cricket. When you do get him out, you’ve earned it.”
Notably, Hazlewood is expected to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the upcoming IPL 2023, which starts on March 31 with CSK taking on the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad in the opening game. However, the Australian bowler’s participation in the IPL 2023 is in doubt due to a tendon injury.
(With PTI Inputs)
