The batter has piled up 7,195 runs in 103 Tests for India.
Veteran India batter Cheteshwar Pujara expressed his interest in being back on the field for the England Test tour. In an interview with Revsportz, the 37-year-old stated that he is eager to make a comeback and will be ready to play if the team needs him.
“As a cricketer, you always want to play for the Indian team and I am doing whatever I can to achieve that success. If the team needs me, I’m definitely ready. I’ve been playing domestic cricket. I’ve been playing county cricket for the last couple of years. I’ve been scoring heavily in the domestic circuit. So if given an opportunity, yes, I’ll be more than ready to grab it with both hands”, said Pujara.
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The Indian Test team has had some poor performances in recent times, in contrast with the white-ball format. Though the team clinched back-to-back ICC titles in the T20Is and ODIs, they suffered heavy losses against New Zealand and Australia.
India lost the Border-Gavaskar Series (BGT) by 3-1 even after leading it 1-0 after the first Test. This loss shattered India’s chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June 2025. This is the first time that India will not be playing in the WTC final after they made it twice, in 2021 and 2023. Previously, India also suffered their first-ever whitewash in a three-match home Test series in November 2024 to New Zealand by 3-0.
Having played for India in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) Final against Australia, Cheteshwar Pujara believes that his presence in the squad could have made the difference in the last BGT series. He could have helped the team to win their third consecutive BGT after 2018-19 and 2021-22.
“I was very confident. If I was there, then we wanted to make a hat trick. So I wouldn’t deny that”, he stressed.
Furthermore, while talking about India’s chances of beating England at home, he emphasised how the absence of pace greats like Anderson and Broad can make it easy for the Rohit Sharma-led team.
“This Indian team definitely has a very good chance. Even if you look at the England bowling lineup, they are slightly weaker after Anderson has retired, and Stuart Broad is not there anymore in the playing XI”, said Pujara.
The five-match Test series between India and England will start from June 20 in Headingley.
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