Dhoni told me not to get complacent, says Pujara
"During the Hyderabad Test when I scored my hundred, Dhoni came up and told me not to get complacent," Cheteshwar Pujara said. (Reuters Photo) NEW DELHI: After his maiden Test hundred against New Zealand in Hyderabad, Cheteshwar Pujara was overwhelmed by the congratulatory text messages he received from Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman.
"I have grown up seeing their batting and when you score a hundred and get messages from these stalwarts, it really means a lot," Pujara told TOI.
"Players of their calibre will always be missed in the dressing room. During my debut series, I had the opportunity to see the way these two seniors used to prepare before a Test. They never missed a training session and for a newcomer like me, that was big motivation. Even today, we have Sachin Tendulkar. He is someone we all look to learn from every day," he said. Pujara also got advice from South African AB de Villiers, who was busy playing the Test series against England in England and still found the time to text him after his hundred. Pujara also had a special mention for captain MS Dhoni.
"I took some tips from AB during the IPL and before travelling to the West Indies for the 'A' tour series. He has been very helpful. Also, during the Hyderabad Test when I scored my hundred, Dhoni came up and told me not to get complacent. He reminded me that I can go on to score a double hundred because I have done it in domestic cricket on many occasions. It was quite encouraging to hear those words from the captain," he admitted.
A 2-0 Test series win against a not-so brilliant New Zealand team may not have seemed very difficult for the Indians, but Pujara believes nothing comes for free at the highest level. "You still have to play well to beat an international side. Their bowling wasn't bad at all. They bowled in the right areas. It will be a different challenge against England and Australia. I will have to make use of the opportunity given to me by the selectors," Pujara said.
"During the Hyderabad Test when I scored my hundred, Dhoni came up and told me not to get complacent," Cheteshwar Pujara said. (Reuters Photo)
NEW DELHI: After his maiden Test hundred against New Zealand in Hyderabad, Cheteshwar Pujara was overwhelmed by the congratulatory text messages he received from Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman.
"I have grown up seeing their batting and when you score a hundred and get messages from these stalwarts, it really means a lot," Pujara told TOI.
"Players of their calibre will always be missed in the dressing room. During my debut series, I had the opportunity to see the way these two seniors used to prepare before a Test. They never missed a training session and for a newcomer like me, that was big motivation. Even today, we have Sachin Tendulkar. He is someone we all look to learn from every day," he said. Pujara also got advice from South African AB de Villiers, who was busy playing the Test series against England in England and still found the time to text him after his hundred. Pujara also had a special mention for captain MS Dhoni.
"I took some tips from AB during the IPL and before travelling to the West Indies for the 'A' tour series. He has been very helpful. Also, during the Hyderabad Test when I scored my hundred, Dhoni came up and told me not to get complacent. He reminded me that I can go on to score a double hundred because I have done it in domestic cricket on many occasions. It was quite encouraging to hear those words from the captain," he admitted.
A 2-0 Test series win against a not-so brilliant New Zealand team may not have seemed very difficult for the Indians, but Pujara believes nothing comes for free at the highest level. "You still have to play well to beat an international side. Their bowling wasn't bad at all. They bowled in the right areas. It will be a different challenge against England and Australia. I will have to make use of the opportunity given to me by the selectors," Pujara said.
"I have grown up seeing their batting and when you score a hundred and get messages from these stalwarts, it really means a lot," Pujara told TOI.
"Players of their calibre will always be missed in the dressing room. During my debut series, I had the opportunity to see the way these two seniors used to prepare before a Test. They never missed a training session and for a newcomer like me, that was big motivation. Even today, we have Sachin Tendulkar. He is someone we all look to learn from every day," he said. Pujara also got advice from South African AB de Villiers, who was busy playing the Test series against England in England and still found the time to text him after his hundred. Pujara also had a special mention for captain MS Dhoni.
"I took some tips from AB during the IPL and before travelling to the West Indies for the 'A' tour series. He has been very helpful. Also, during the Hyderabad Test when I scored my hundred, Dhoni came up and told me not to get complacent. He reminded me that I can go on to score a double hundred because I have done it in domestic cricket on many occasions. It was quite encouraging to hear those words from the captain," he admitted.
A 2-0 Test series win against a not-so brilliant New Zealand team may not have seemed very difficult for the Indians, but Pujara believes nothing comes for free at the highest level. "You still have to play well to beat an international side. Their bowling wasn't bad at all. They bowled in the right areas. It will be a different challenge against England and Australia. I will have to make use of the opportunity given to me by the selectors," Pujara said.
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