Australia's premier fast bowler Pat Cummins has said that Cheteshwar Pujara was 'a real pain in the back', naming him the toughest batsman to bowl to.
India's Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara played a key role in the side's historic series victory in Australia in 2019. India won the series 2-1, becoming the first side from the country to defeat the Aussies Down Under. Australia's premier fast bowler, Pat Cummins, has now heaped praise on Pujara, saying that he was the 'hardest one' to bowl to in Test cricket so far.
Talking about the toughest batsman he had ever faced, Cummins insisted that Pujara was a 'real pain in the back'.
"There are a lot of them out there, unfortunately. But I am going to go with someone different, and he is (Cheteshwar) Pujara from India. He was a real pain in the back for us," said the 26-year-old," said Cummins during a live session on Instagram, arranged by the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA).
"He (Pujara) was an absolute rock for them in that series. (He was) Really hard to get out. Just ultra concentration all day, day after day. He is the hardest one in Test cricket so far, I think," concluded Cummins.
The Indian batsman was the top scorer in the series in Australia, with 521 runs in a whopping 1258 deliveries. Earlier, Pat Cummins' teammates Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazelwood had also talked about their frustration during bowling to Pujara.
Hazelwood even said that he might consider Mankading the Indian batsman the next time the two sides face each other in a Test series.
India and Australia are scheduled to meet in a four-match Test series later this year. However, the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus pandemic has put clouds of doubt on the future of the series. While Cricket Australia's CEO has suggested that the series be expanded to five matches, a BCCI official reportedly said that it is too early to think about the series -- especially when the cricket action is currently on a standstill.
(With inputs from IANS)
