Former Indian batsman and cricket analyst Aakash Chopra said Cheteshwar Pujara was very unlucky to be dismissed on a “very good” delivery by James Anderson on Day 2 of the ongoing first Test between England and India at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Thursday (August 6).
Pujara’s poor run of form is continued in England as well, as the Test specialist was out for just four in the first innings on Thursday. The right-hander got a peach of a superb delivery around off-stump from Anderson and it took the edge of his bat and keeper Jos Buttler completed a simple catch.
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However, Chopra feels though Pujara was very unlucky to be dismissed in that manner and there is no shame in getting out to good deliveries, but said the veteran batsman seems to be getting out too many times to such seemingly “unplayable” deliveries.
Chopra further said that Pujara must figure out whether he is just unfortunate or making the deliveries look unplayabale.
Chopra said on his YouTube channel: “James Anderson sent back Cheteshwar Pujara with very good delivery. There is no shame in getting out to good deliveries but the problem here is that Pujara is getting too many of them. That is something that will be playing on his mind. Questions like - why is this happening with me? Am I allowing the good balls to happen or is there something like I am just unfortunate? That is the question that Pujara has to answer.”
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On Virat Kohli’s dismissal for a duck by Anderson, the commentator said: “In 2018, Virat Kohli was not dismissed by Anderson even once. He was leaving balls outside the off-stump but this time he nicked the first delivery behind the stumps to make it two wickets in two balls for Anderson.”
He said the wickets of Pujara and Kohli changed the game completely as the Indian team ended the day on 125/4 from being 97 for no loss at one point against England.
Chopra signed off by saying, “The wickets of Pujara and Kohli changed the game completely. Both wicket-taking balls were really good. But the ball that got Kohli out was a regulation Test match delivery.”
