'The way I have been batting...': Cheteshwar Pujara talks about his future

Having been dropped from the Test side after the World Test Championship final, Cheteshwar Pujara decided to return to domestic cricket. Representing Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy, Pujara has so far scored 673 runs at an average of 74.77 this season. Last month, he notched a double hundred and emerged as only the fourth Indian cricketer to breach the 20,000 first-class-run mark after Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar.

Pujara may not be in the Indian Test team, but the Saurashtra batter, at the age of 36, does not wish to give up hope. When asked if he believes that there is more cricket left in him, Pujara reportedly responded with a, “Definitely.”

In an interaction with Hindustan Times, Pujara explained why he wants to keep going despite the Test snub.

“The way I have been batting and keeping up with my fitness, I am very confident. Scoring runs in the Ranji Trophy is not a piece of cake, even though people may want to say it. There is no DRS and decisions don’t always go your way. To keep scoring one has to work hard and be at the top of the game. I hope I will be able to continue to contribute at whichever level I get an opportunity,” Pujara said.

Pujara even produced examples of Serbian tennis great Novak Djokovic and England seamer James Anderson to argue that age is just a number.

“I genuinely feel that age is just a number (he just turned 36). You have the example of James Anderson who is bowling fast at 41 and is still England’s best bowler. Novak Djokovic recently said that 35 is the new 25. The dynamics of the game are changing and players are getting fitter. I don’t think age is any longer a barrier. Particularly for players who play only one format, which I think has helped me immensely. If I am playing only Tests, I can maintain my body better. You just have to keep working on fitness. That holds true even if you are a 25-year-old,” he explained.

In his last Ranji Trophy appearance, Pujara produced a fine century against Rajasthan. Pujara came up with a terrific knock of 110 in the first innings of that fixture. Saurashtra went on to win the game by a convincing margin of 218 runs.