Former Indian No.3 batter Cheteshwar Pujara has revealed that his ego was hurt after he was hit on his body multiple times during the Brisbane Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21 Down Under.
Notably, Pujara entered the Brisbane Test with a fractured finger, taking painkillers. Speaking to former Indian opener Aakash Chopra on YouTube, Pujara recalled that he was hit on the same finger during India’s 328-run chase, which left him in terrible pain.
“By lunchtime, I had been hit more than thrice. But I carried on batting with the same determination. There was a little eye contact with Aussie players during Lunch. They appreciated it but also said, ‘How are you playing? Is this how you want to play?’ The short leg said he would have hit fours and sixes had he been batting. Then I got motivated that I needed to show them. As it carried on, my ego was hurt because I was getting hit repeatedly. I was telling myself this might be my ugliest knock,” Pujara revealed.
“Once the ball hit my finger, I think that was the toughest time. That was unbearable, getting hit on the same place where the physio suspected a fracture. I didn’t understand what to do after that. I could not even lift the bat. I was picking it up with just the first three fingers. I still have that mark on my finger. The bone has moved from its place,” he added.
Notably, Pujara scored 56 runs off 211 balls with seven boundaries in the fourth innings. Delving into the details of the Brisbane Test, India chased down a 328-run target to hand Australia their first Test defeat at The Gabba in 32 years. In total, Pujara faced 928 balls during the four-match Test series and finished with 271 runs at an average of 33.87.
