Sri Lanka series will be a good opportunity to prepare for South Africa assignment, says Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara has roared back to form as he slammed hundreds in consecutive innings in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season.

After enduring a mediocre start to the Ranji Trophy season, Cheteshwar Pujara has roared back to form as he slammed hundreds in consecutive innings. With the Indian team’s next assignments being the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka and the subsequent tour to South Africa, Pujara’s current run of form augurs well for team India. Looking ahead at the series, the 29-year-old from Rajkot said, “Obviously, next year’s South Africa series is something that is there at the back of my mind. The upcoming Sri Lanka series will be a good opportunity to prepare for the South Africa assignment. I am confident of doing well.”

“The main preparation will certainly start closer to the series. But I believe once we assemble to play the Test series against Sri Lanka, there will be some serious discussions on the South African tour. There will be strategies and plans in place,” the Saurashtra skipper added.

“Like every series, I will be doing my own homework. There are a few areas that I will like to work in the nets before the series. Those are very specific things but it will be unfair to reveal them as that’s a part of the strategy,” said Pujara.

After a fantastic outing in the series against Sri Lanka in the island nation, Pujara is no mood to take the upcoming series lightly. “I agree that during the last series, Sri Lanka’s bowling attack may not be one of the best but Test runs never come easy. You have to fight for every run that you score in the longer format. Also, every series is a new series. Your intensity does not change according to the opposition you play. Sri Lanka is also an international side and you have to give them the same respect like any other team,” said the 29-year-old.

Pujara, who completed 50 Tests for India, commented on his poor run of form in first-class cricket and said, “I always knew that a big innings is just around the corner. When you know that you are batting well, you can feel it. It was about one good inning and it came against Jharkhand.”